


return to sender

by kaeda



Series: return to sender [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angry Soulbonding, Awkward Seduction, Ben Solo AU, Childhood Memories, M/M, Pen Pals, Slow Burn, Soul Bond, Trolling, mutual obsession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-06-03 19:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6624019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaeda/pseuds/kaeda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ben Organa Solo is a bureaucrat's nightmare, General Hux is constantly frustrated, and the two of them cannot stop flirting via holonet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new fic! This is my take on a Ben Solo AU, which started off sort of trope-y and then got plotty. Like my first foray into Kylux longfic, this story is already complete, and a chapter of it will be posted every few days. I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> This fic also contains the repercussions of repressed/traumatic childhood memories. These are along the same lines as what happened to Ben Solo in canon, but if you think you'll find that triggering, please read with caution.

_'There has been an awakening_.'

Ben awoke from the dream, gasping for breath, covered in his own sweat. The voice that rolled through his mind was familiar and slimy, something he’d heard before, long ago. He’d known that voice, once, very well, although he couldn’t place when or how

The chrono beside the bed read early morning on D’Qar, just a few minutes before Ben’s alarm was set to go off, and he laid in bed staring up at the uneven ceiling of his quarters, willing his speeding heart to slow and trying to banish that voice from his mind.

The dream before the words had also been horrible, in the premonitory way that Force dreams always tended to feel. Voices screaming out. Whole planets, rendered to dust. People wearing Republic insignias shrieking and clutching each other in terror as the skies above them turned red. 

Was something reverberating through the Force? He’d never had very strong premonitory gifts, his own Force abilities being more along the telepathic and mind control variety, but he knew deep in his heart that the vision he’d just had was not something that had already happened, but something that _could_.

An awakening, the voice had said. Awakening of what?

A familiar Force presence reached out and checked in with him – his mother had sensed the nightmare, probably still awake herself after a long evening of going over reports and planning future battles. _Are you okay?_ she asked without words, and Ben sent her as much reassurance as he could muster.

The premonition still lurked at the back of his mind. He had to talk to his mother.

Getting in to see the general was difficult, even for her son – they’d been estranged for ten years between his adolescence and adulthood before he’d finally decided to stop smuggling like his father and join up with the Resistance. His mother loved him, he knew that, but she still hadn’t quite forgiven him for sneaking out of his uncle’s Jedi school one night when he’d been fifteen and running away, never to return.

He had quite a reputation, out on the Rim – Ben Organa Solo, the Jedi smuggler who carried a lightsaber and could hide any cargo using his Force tricks. He’d even impressed the Hutts, something his father had failed to do quite spectacularly.

Ben arrived at his mother’s office just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, his stomach growling and his head beginning to ache with the after effects of the vision. He knocked briefly and slid past his mother’s aide, a woman from Alderaan named Winter who had accompanied Leia since their youth together. Winter glanced up and started to speak, but Ben brushed past her before she could really react.

His mother sat at her desk, dark circles under her eyes confirming Ben’s suspicion that she hadn’t slept.

“Mother,” he said, slouching his long body into one of her small office chairs. “I’ve had a vision.”

“Was that your dream from earlier?” his mother asked, and the slimy voice came back to him – an _awakening_. Was this what it had meant? This massive death and destruction, was that the awakening to come?

“Yes,” Ben told her. “Billions of voices were crying out. I was on a planet in the Republic where the skies turned red, and the planet turned to dust beneath my feet. And it wasn’t just one planet, but several; I could see them in the sky.” He paused. “It could have been the Hosnian system.”

Leia was pale to begin with, but all the color had drained from her face as Ben spoke. “Another Death Star?” she murmured. “No, impossible.”

“It has to be the First Order,” Ben declared. “None of the other Imperial remnants have enough firepower to create destruction on this magnitude. Whatever it was, it hasn’t happened yet. The Force sent me that vision for a reason. I’m meant to stop this.”

His mother regarded him, her face still unhappy. “There have been reports that the First Order has been shifting their operations to a system in the Unknown Regions that our spies haven’t been able to approach. Additionally, there’s been a lot of transport activity in the Abregado system, and we think they’re using it to transfer shipments to their new headquarters. I wonder if perhaps this is related to your dream?”

Ben thought about it. “It could be,” he said after a moment, trusting his feelings like his uncle had always taught him to do. Something was pulling out in the direction of Abregado, a weird feeling, like the Force was trying to tell him something. “I’ll go out and investigate.”

“Take Poe,” Leia said. “I want to know you have backup.”

Ben nodded. “I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “I’m just going to look around.” She raised her eyebrows at him and he flashed her his most charming smile, a tactic he’d picked up from his father before he’d left them. “Hey, it’s me. What could go wrong?”

“Never say that,” his mother scolded, massaging her temples. “The moment you say that, the Force takes it as a personal challenge.”

* * *

Ben and Poe kneeled behind some crates, desperately trying to see what the First Order ships at the Abregado-rae spaceport were loading into their cargo hatches. “It’s all boxed up,” Poe told him. “I can’t see what it is. Can you use your…abilities?" 

Ben was already trying, but the stormtroopers manning the crates had no idea what they carried either, so dipping into their minds was completely unhelpful.

“We’re going to have to be smarter about this,” Ben said. “We’ve got to get access to those crates; nobody here knows what’s inside.”

Poe was clearly thinking along the same lines as Ben. “Stormtrooper armor?”

Ben nodded. “Stormtrooper armor.”

They were able to sneak into one of the empty stormtrooper transport shuttles without any trouble, and the lockers inside opened easily under Ben’s gentle prodding from the Force, but then there was a new challenge – finding armor made for a stormtrooper as giant as Ben. Poe had the opposite problem, but shorter stormtroopers were a little more common than ones of Ben’s height, so he finally did manage to secure a suit.

Ben gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn’t really have the patience for this kind of setback.

“I can go,” Poe told him. “You can use the Force to monitor me, right? See what I see?”

Ben thought about it for a minute, then nodded.

Poe quickly slipped on the stormtrooper gear and left the break room, Ben slipping out after him and using the Force to prevent anyone from noticing him. Unfortunately, the Force could only deflect attention unless Ben wanted to do serious damage to another person’s mind; it wasn’t enough to get away with investigating a top secret shipment, but it did allow him to move around the base without too much trouble.

Ben crouched behind some cargo scheduled to leave later that day, stretching his senses out and following Poe as he joined a platoon of stormtroopers and made his way to the First Order ship that was finishing up loading its cargo. Each stormtrooper was lugging an individual crate, and when Poe picked up his own, his astonishment at its light weight reverberated through the Force. He carried it through the hatch and then put it down, moving into the shadows and waiting until the rest of the platoon had exited.

He moved to one of the larger crates the moment he was alone, and he and Ben both waited in tense anticipation. Removal of the lid revealed tightly packed components – hardly the weapons shipment that Ben had been expecting. Poe took off his helmet so that he could see better and frowned in annoyance at the contents.

“What are these?” Poe asked aloud, poking through some coils. “It’s not parts for any sort of ship that I recognize.” Ben didn’t recognize them either.

‘ _Open another_ ,’ Ben instructed via the Force. ‘ _Maybe one of the other crates will have something recognizable._ ’ Poe nodded and secured the lid back on the first container, moving further back into the cargo hold to check another, this one quite large and opening on the side. When he finally had it open, Ben squinted through his eyes to see what was inside.

More components, but this time, Ben recognized their function. His time studying up on his grandfather’s achievements had come in handy after all.

‘ _Those are focusing lenses for a turbolaser_ ,’ he sent to Poe, his heart beating wildly in his ears. ‘ _Larger than any I’ve seen before_.’ They vaguely resembled some of the pieces used on the Death Stars, whose construction Ben had been fascinated by as a teenager. He remembered painstakingly putting together models while his father and mother watched worriedly, and thought with amusement, _if only they could have known how that would come in handy._

“Focusing lenses?” Poe asked. “To what sort of turbolaser?”

‘ _Large weapon_ ,’ Ben replied, his heart sinking as he linked the lenses to his previous vision through the Force. ‘ _Possibly a Death Star._ ’

Poe’s alarm vibrated through their Force connection. “We can’t let them have these, then,” he said decisively.

“Who’s there?” a voice shouted from the entrance to the cargo hold. Poe froze next to the open container, still in his stormtrooper uniform but very obviously snooping into the shipment. He quickly scrambled to replace his helmet. A moment later, another trooper made his way over to Poe, weapon drawn. “What are you doing here? What’s your call sign?”

Poe watched him warily, Ben riding along in his mind, as the trooper put two and two together. He gestured with his gun again. “You’re not with the First Order, are you? Take off your helmet.”

Poe’s instinct was to lie his way out of the situation, and he almost began to do so when Ben caught a flicker of something through the Force. ‘ _Don’t_ ,’ Ben said. ‘ _Take off your helmet._ ’

‘ _Are you crazy?!_ ’ Poe thought at him angrily, but Ben outranked him and he had to do as ordered. He slowly put his hands up and removed the helmet, and the flickers in the Force grew stronger. It was almost as though they were coming from the trooper.

The stormtrooper didn’t move from where he had his gun pointed at Poe, but he also didn’t react, almost like he was staring. Attraction? Ben was amused; Poe had that effect on people.

“You’re with the Resistance,” the trooper declared.

“I’m with the Resistance,” Poe confirmed. He glanced shrewdly at the blaster in the trooper’s hand and then moved slightly towards the large cargo pod that was still open beside him. “Do you know what your Order is doing? Do stormtroopers even think for themselves enough to understand?”

The blaster in the trooper’s hand wobbled slightly. “What do you mean?” he demanded.

“Your Order is building a superweapon like a Death Star,” Poe said. “These focusing lenses are proof of that. Do the deaths of billions of people not bother you?”

There was something about this trooper, something different – could he be Force sensitive? The Force was definitely being influenced by something, wreaking slight havoc on Ben’s senses. Ben hoped that nobody would find him in his hiding spot with his defenses so low.

The trooper moved closer to the cargo pod as well. “Death Star?” he asked. “You’re lying. How can you know that?”

‘ _Give me something good,’_ Poe sent desperately to Ben.

‘ _Those are Imperial-issue Type-II focusing lenses, used commonly to direct turbolaser energy, except far larger than any used in any Star Destroyer model. The only equivalent size was used to construct the targeting lens for the first and second Death Stars,_ ’ Ben thought at him.

Poe paraphrased his words to the trooper, who had either gotten distracted or relaxed enough that his blaster was no longer pointing directly at Poe. “Are you just going to let them build another Death Star?” Poe finished off. “Do they brainwash you so well that you don’t even have a conscience?”

To both Ben and Poe’s surprise, the trooper yanked off his helmet and stared Poe straight in the eye. “I have a conscience,” he declared, his face determined. Poe’s perception of him filtered into Ben’s mind – _young, attractive, way more of a person than he’d expected_ – and Ben began to think that maybe they’d found an ally instead of a problem.

“Will you help us?” Poe asked, reaching out with his hand towards the trooper. The trooper watched him, clearly torn, his eyes wide and desperate. This was clearly not a choice he’d expected, nor wanted, to make.

“They’ll kill me,” he replied. “I can’t.”

“I won’t let them,” Poe said, a fierce surge of protectiveness transmitting to Ben from his mind. Ben frowned, not sure what was going on – the Force was careening between the two of them, and they couldn’t keep their eyes off of each other…

Suddenly, he realized what was happening. Ben had read about this. The moment Poe and the trooper had seen one another, they’d bonded through the Force, probably because of the trooper’s latent Force sensitivity. Ben groaned, covering his eyes with one hand – now he had to deal with _two_ Poes. This was going to be insufferable.

A danger sense pinged out at him, and Ben seized on it to find that troopers were surrounding the cargo hold, clearly looking for Poe’s new friend. ‘ _You’re about to be surrounded_ ,’ Ben sent to Poe. ‘ _He needs to choose now or you’ll have to kill him._ ’ There was a possibility that killing him would kill Poe as well, but Ben tried not to communicate that fact.

‘ _I’m not killing him,_ ’ Poe sent fiercely back, with a level of determination that was almost floored him. Ben pushed down the flare of jealousy that was starting to well up in his throat – he’d read about Force bonds, dreamed about forming one himself, and now, on a First Order base, instead of him, the Force bonded a stormtrooper with _Poe Dameron_?

Yet another confirmation that Ben had been born to be alone.

“You have to choose,” Poe was saying to the trooper. “Come with me. To the Resistance. We’ll give you a home, a family. What’s your name?”

“FN-2187,” said the trooper.

“That’s not a name, that’s a serial number,” Poe replied. “I’m going to call you Finn.”

The trooper’s mouth fell open and then he nodded enthusiastically. “Finn. I like it.” He glanced to the side. “Can you really protect me?”

“Nobody’s going to touch you,” Poe promised. “But we have to destroy this shipment before it leaves Abregado-rae.”

He and the stormtrooper watched one another for one long moment, the Force calling to both of them and binding them together. “Okay,” Finn said finally. “I’ll help you.”

Poe’s mind lit up with joy, and Ben rolled his eyes. Like it hadn’t been immediately obvious what Finn would choose.

“I have some thermal detonators,” Finn added, groping at his tool belt. “Not enough to knock out all of this cargo, but…”

“But we could place them on the wall near the ship’s reactor,” Poe said thoughtfully. “And blow them mid-flight?”

Finn glanced back, his expression suddenly far less enthusiastic. “That would kill my fellow troopers,” he said.

Ben glanced above him, where the mandatory fire evacuation alarm was located. ‘ _I’ve got an idea_ ,’ he said. ‘ _Just hold on._ ’ Like most other fire alarms, the one above Ben’s head was heat-activated. He didn’t have anything on him that could start a fire, but he did have something that generated a tremendous amount of heat.

He ignited his lightsaber and held it in front of the sensor, the glass in front cracking with the force of the hot air it generated. A moment later, an alarm blared. “ _Evacuate immediately_ ,” a computerized voice announced to the spaceport. “ _Fire reported in cargo bay 3.”_

‘ _Now’s your chance!_ ’ Ben sent to Poe.

The place erupted into chaos nearly immediately. Stormtroopers ran every which way, some carrying equipment and others just evacuating. Personnel unrelated to the First Order ran for the exits. Ben fled from his hiding place and joined the general flow of sentients towards the exits. At the last minute, he ducked into the cargo bay, which was being exited by platoons of troopers at a time, none of whom spared him a glance. The troops surrounding Poe and Finn’s cargo ship had abandoned their posts to evacuate, leaving the ship by itself.

Poe and Finn were already almost done setting Finn’s few thermal detonators to the area around the ship’s reactor. “We’ll get clear and then blow it,” Ben announced. Finn glanced up, startled. “I’m Ben,” Ben added awkwardly.

“He’s the Jedi who’s been in my head,” Poe explained. “He already knows who you are. He set off the evacuation alert.” Ben didn’t dispute the label of ‘Jedi’, even though he really, really wanted to.

“The Jedi are real?” Finn asked, his eyes wide.

“Sort of,” Ben said evasively.

The charges were finally set, and they fled the cargo ship. Poe and Finn put their helmets back on and the three of them joined the flood of people evacuating the buildings. When they were finally clear, their helmets were removed once more, and Ben took the remote detonator from Finn’s sweating palms and held it up.

“Let’s do this,” he said.

“No wait!” Finn exclaimed, his face drawn and nervous. “There are still people inside!”

Ben sighed and used the Force to track the presence of sentients around the cargo ship, knowing that they would have very little time between when everyone was out of the spaceport and when those in charge realized that it had been a false alarm. “The area around the ship is mostly empty.”

“The explosion of the ship is going to rip through the whole port,” Finn pointed out. “We attached those detonators to a fission drive.”

“I feel like you’re trying to sabotage our efforts,” Ben accused, stepping forward to use all of his height to tower over Finn. “Are you sure you want to join us? That you’re not just joining the Resistance to report on us from the inside?” Ben could actually read his earnestness through the Force, but there was no reason for Finn to know that.

“Stop being an ass,” Poe told Ben. “He’s genuine, I swear.”

“I’m telling the truth!” Finn insisted, and then, to Ben’s surprise, he stood up to his full height and glared at Ben back. “If I left the First Order because I didn’t want to see people die, why would I join a Resistance that kills the people I left behind?”

“He’s got you there,” Poe helpfully pointed out.

Officials were already conferring with each other outside the entrance of the spaceport, just as the last of the beings in the spaceport were filtering out. It wasn’t going to be long before they directed everybody back inside.

“If we want the least amount of casualties possible, we have to do it _now_ ,” Ben told Finn. “They’re going to send people back in and then it will be even worse.”

Finn winced and closed his eyes. “Fine,” he said, reaching out. Ben watched the way his hand sprung into Poe’s as through they were both magnetized; how they clutched each other’s palms with desperate strength, as though they needed to be touching in order to keep their own sanity. It was definitely a Force bond. “Do it,” Finn whispered.

Ben pressed the button on the remote.

The building behind them erupted in sound and light.

* * *

Hux read the report on Abregado-rae with an expressionless face, refusing to show the fierce rage that he felt welling up inside him. Someone had destroyed an entire shipment of focusing lenses for the construction of Starkiller Base, setting them back _weeks_ in construction time. The lenses had been specially made and were in their final stage of transit through Abregado-rae, which was a neutral shipping hub and shouldn’t have attracted the attention of the troublesome Resistance. 

“Has anyone taken credit for the strike?” Hux asked.

“News agencies in Republic space are reporting that General Organa’s son, Ben Organa Solo, was responsible for the blast. Additionally, it would appear that one of our stormtroopers defected and assisted with the strike.” Lieutenant Mitaka handed over a datapad with the relevant news source already pulled up, and Hux scanned over the screen, noting the credit given to Organa Solo (not pictured) and a small blurb about how one of their troopers had realized the error of his ways and decided to join the Resistance instead. Somehow, the news media had gotten a holo of the stormtrooper with his arm slung across the shoulders of another man, but Hux didn’t recognize his face – Phasma probably would have. There was no information about the trooper’s serial number, but Hux was able to pull up a list of the missing from the Abregado-rae attack. 17 troopers still hadn’t been recovered.

“Captain Phasma is on her way from Abregado-rae to report on the attack personally, sir,” Mitaka continued. “She may also be able to shed some light on which trooper was the defector.”

“Very good. When she arrives, send me an alert and have her come directly to my office,” Hux ordered. He closed his eyes, furious with himself for becoming so complacent and with the Resistance for being so annoying. _Ben Organa Solo_. He’d caused some trouble for them in the past as well, but never on such a scale.

Perhaps it was time to start taking Organa Solo more seriously.

“Also,” Hux said just as Mitaka was leaving. “Bring me any information you can find on Organa Solo.”

“Yes, sir,” Mitaka said, bowing slightly before leaving Hux’s office.

Hux scanned through the list of items that had been damaged or lost in the attack. Four cargo ships, an entire shipment of focusing lenses, 67 stormtroopers killed in action, and 17 still missing. Their schedule set back by months. Diplomatic relations with Abregado-rae were now strained, as the planet was requesting that the First Order no longer use their spaceports to transport shipments to prevent further attacks. (Hux was tempted to tell them that if they truly wanted to stop such attacks, they should send a request to the Resistance instead.)

So much damage to the Order and his plans, all because General Leia Organa’s bratty Jedi kid had decided to mess up a spaceport.

A few hours later, Mitaka forwarded all the information he’d gathered on Organa Solo to Hux with detailed notes about sources and his perceived veracity of each report. Hux stopped going over expense reports in lieu of reading about his new adversary. He programmed his office door to Do Not Disturb and settled in.

Ben Organa Solo was the only child of General Leia Organa of the Resistance and the smuggler Han Solo, whereabouts currently unknown. Little was known of his childhood other than that he often accompanied Organa on diplomatic missions, and his adolescent history was even more sparse. There were records of his enrollment in some Jedi school run by Luke Skywalker for several years during his teen years, but he vanished at age fifteen and didn’t reappear in any records that Mitaka had located until he was twenty-one – quite a gap of time to disappear from view, Hux thought, intrigued. Was Organa Solo considered a Jedi?

No, he concluded, continuing his reading. He’d begun to work as a smuggler on some of the routes near the black hole cluster known as the Maw, especially preferring the Kessel run. He’d gained a reputation as a smuggler for being a loose cannon and having a temper, and also for his ability to execute extremely intricate maneuvers while flying. If Hux believed in the Force, which he did maybe half of the time, this led him to believe that Organa Solo really was as Force-sensitive as he was rumored to be. At around twenty-seven years of age, Organa Solo had abruptly abandoned his smuggling career and joined the Resistance at the side of his mother, where he’d stayed ever since.

There were no photographs accompanying any of the research, although Hux could imagine him clearly in his mind’s eye, having once seen Han Solo from afar as a child – tall, rich and privileged, with a wide easy smile and the kind of charisma that people like Hux had to work to cultivate. Organa Solo sounded like everything Hux hated. It figured that he’d been the one to destroy this shipment.

Hux sat in his chair mulling over the facts. Was there a way he could use this attack to the First Order’s advantage? Rally the troops with a new enemy?

Who was a better new enemy than a Jedi?

Hux grinned and began to compose a new speech. Perhaps Ben Organa-Solo would be good for something after all.

* * *

“You’re famous,” said Poe, seating himself at Ben’s table in the mess hall. “Some First Order general gave a speech about how you’re the new face of the evil Resistance with your wizard-Jedi ways, and now the holonet is buzzing about it.” 

Ben blinked at him slowly, taking in this new information. “I’m…being used in propaganda for the First Order?” he asked.

Poe nodded, barely able to hide his grin. “Apparently Abregado-rae made you more infamous than we thought. Finn watched the speech itself on the holonet and says that the general whose attention you’ve attracted is a big deal in the First Order.” If that was the case, then Ben would probably be hearing from his mother soon – there was no way she wasn’t already aware of this.

“Great,” Ben murmured with a sigh, looking down into his breakfast stew.

“Hey,” said Poe. “You’re filled with existential dread and you’re not sure what your purpose is anymore, right? Maybe this is where the Force is calling you. Maybe annoying this First Order general is your new destiny.” He was obviously joking, his smile wide and troublesome. “Maybe you can single-handedly annoy him into making a mistake.”

“Is he that important?” Ben asked.

“Oh, yes,” said Poe. “He’s that important.”

It was worth considering.

General Hux’s contact information was surprisingly easy to find on the holonet. Ben only looked for it on a whim, considering Poe’s words about provoking the First Order into making a mistake, but it turned out that there were many groups on the holonet dedicated to eradicating the First Order and one of them had the primary holonet contact information listed for every person in the First Order echelon, General Hux included.

If his contact address was so easy to find, Ben reasoned with himself, this general would hardly have the time or energy to sort through all the messages he received. It wouldn’t hurt to just…send him a message.

 _Dear General Hux_ , Ben painstakingly typed into his datapad. What tone should he set if he was trying to be irritating? After a moment, he closed his eyes and tried to channel his father. _It has come to my attention that you are a great and vocal admirer of my handiwork at Abregado-rae, and a true artist should always acknowledge his fans. I hope I will continue to have your patronage for my future performances as well. Yours truly, Ben Organa Solo._

It was cheesy, sarcastic, and not serious at all. This General Hux, if he even read it, was going to _hate it_.

Ben sent it before he could stop himself. The message vanished into the ether of the holonet, out of Ben’s control forever.

On his way out of his quarters, he found himself whistling, his mood lifted for the first time in days.

Who knew annoying a First Order general could be quite so entertaining?


	2. Chapter 2

Hux’s First Order holonet account tended to filter out junk mail messages by the hundreds – one of the side effects of being a public figure in a position of authority within an organization such as the First Order was that one received lots of angry messages and had their address listed publicly by the discontented. The First Order’s spam filters were quite sufficient for the task, which was why Hux was quite surprised to find a message in his mailbox from an unknown source outside the First Order. _(no subject)_ read the subject line, and the sender was from someone with the unfortunate name of “Kylo Ren”. At first he thought it must be one of Snoke’s ridiculous knights, but he’d never heard of one named Kylo before.

Hux raised his eyebrows and opened the message, wondering what sort of horrible advertisement he was about to be bombarded with. To his surprise, the content of the message explained why it had made it through his filters and shed light on the sender.

He read the message again and scowled. _Ben Organa Solo_.

Just the day before, he’d set the filters on his mail account to allow any messages containing that name to come through, but he’d hardly had an inkling that the man himself would contact him. Obviously, Leia Organa’s Sithspawn child couldn’t help but gloat to Hux about his accomplishments. The entire affair was infuriating. 

Hux closed the message. Responding to it would be beneath him. He was a First Order general with very important obligations; he hardly had the free time to cater to harassment from a bored Resistance fighter, especially one who had cost him so much in time and equipment fees.

He answered a few more messages, including a status report from the manufacturer of the focusing lenses informing him that it would be even _longer_ before replacements could be obtained. His attempt to find a new transport hub for their cargo was also unfruitful. An official had come in from Abregado-rae the night before demanding compensation for the unsafe transportation of materials that had resulted in such a large amount of damage, and no amount of insistence that the Resistance was at fault was able to deter her.

Someone at the entrance to Hux’s office cleared his throat.

“Sir,” Mitaka said unsurely, which explained everything about the expression on Hux’s face at that moment. “Captain Phasma’s ship has docked, and she is here to meet with you regarding the Abregado-rae…incident.”

Excellent, now he’d finally have more information about this outrage. “Send her in,” he instructed Mitaka, who scurried out of his office as quickly as possible. Phasma’s bulk replaced him in the doorway, resplendent in her armor as always. She moved gracefully into the room and seated herself in the chair that Hux reserved for guests.

Hux set his door controls to Do Not Disturb and turned to her. “I’d prefer to have this conversation face to face, if you don’t mind.” 

Phasma took just long enough to remove her helmet to communicate to Hux that she really didn’t want to. She placed it on the desk in front of her. “Sir,” she said, nodding slightly. “I’m prepared to explain the events at Abregado-rae.”

“Finally _somebody_ is going to,” Hux muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Please continue.”

Phasma relaxed slightly into the chair, correctly reading that Hux’s tired sarcasm meant that she herself wasn’t in trouble. “The mission to Bothawui went as planned, and my unit stopped over in Abregado-rae to oversee the transfer of cargo for transport to Starkiller Base. We’re not sure exactly what happened, as all shipboard cameras were destroyed in the explosion, but it seems that members of the Resistance tracked our shipment there and were attempting to learn what we were carrying.”

Hux looked up sharply. “Do you think they succeeded?” he asked. Those particular focusing lenses would be relatively damning evidence of the function of Starkiller Base in the right hands.

“It seems likely,” Phasma said. Hux steeled himself not to react, but he could feel his left eye twitching in annoyance. “One of my men, FN-2187, failed to report for duty upon dropping off his cargo in the hold of the transport ship, and the rest of his platoon was waiting for him to reemerge when the fire alarm sounded. The entire shipyard was evacuated. We attempted to assist with locating and putting out the fire, but it was soon clear that it had been a false alarm.”

She steepled her hands together in front of her, looking Hux straight in the eye. “Just as we realized that this had been a diversion, our transport exploded and took out several other of our First Order transport ships. A good number of my troopers who were attempting to locate the source of the alarm were severely wounded or killed in the explosion, and all of the cargo was destroyed.”

Hux gritted his teeth. “This matches with the reports we received from our planet-side spies,” he said. He grabbed his datapad and pulled up the news report from earlier, focusing in on the image of the stormtrooper who had defected. He handed the datapad to Phasma. “Is this FN-2187 without his helmet?

Phasma’s expression darkened into a scowl. “Yes,” she said. “That’s him. He’s not just a stormtrooper, either, sir. He was one of my best, top of his class. He excelled in almost all of the areas of service and he was on a leadership track in our unit. This is quite a blow.” Her blue eyes burned with the anger of betrayal, and Hux understood exactly how she felt.

“This is unforgiveable. I understand that Ben Organa Solo has taken credit for the attack?”  
  
“A man matching his description was seen in the vicinity of the base during the evacuation,” Phasma said. “We checked the security feeds and confirmed his presence. It seems pretty straightforward. If he’s not directly responsible, he has to have at least been involved.”

Hux thought about the earlier message from Organa Solo and scowled furiously. “He’s definitely taking credit.”

“We were able to watch your earlier speech on board the transport back here, sir,” Phasma told him. “The troops are definitely reinvigorated to fight the Resistance and take down Organa Solo personally.”

“Have the security footage from Abregado-rae sent to my datapad,” Hux ordered, “at least, the moments where Organa Solo was positively identified.”

“Yes, sir,” Phasma said. “Is that all?” She stood once more, towering over Hux’s desk.

“Keep an eye on the rest of your troops to be sure that none of the others share FN-2187’s proclivity for betrayal. Report any other transgressors for reconditioning." 

“Yes, sir,” Phasma said again, nodding smartly. “I’ll ensure that no other troopers go the way of FN-2187.” With that, she turned on her heel and left.

Hux dealt with a few small bureaucratic issues for the next hour until his datapad pinged once more, this time with a message from Phasma containing the security footage taken from Abregado-rae. He opened the file immediately and frowned – it was grainier than expected, not very good quality at all. He’d expected Abregado-rae to have an upgraded surveillance system like many First Order planets, but apparently he was going to have to make do with subpar footage.

The video was from outside the spaceport and showed a crowd evacuating from the entrance as alarms blared in the background. About thirty seconds in, FN-2187 appeared on screen, accompanied by a shorter man with scruffy hair and a third, taller man. For some reason, FN-2187 and the shorter man appeared to be…holding hands? 

The taller man seemed to have a lightsaber hanging from his belt, although it was hard to make it out due to the grainy resolution – he had to be Organa Solo. His face was shadowed and hard to parse, but he was clearly young and had a head full of thick, richly dark hair.

‘ _I am not going to reply to that message_ ,’ Hux thought sternly to himself again. He was better than that. He was a First Order general, and it was clearly deliberate provocation.

Just as the video was ending, Organa Solo looked up, straight at the security camera, and _smirked_.

Hux had an empty message open on his screen and was furiously typing a reply before he could even register what had happened.

* * *

Ben’s mother was worried about him. 

“General Hux is powerful,” she said, frowning at the paused video of Hux’s latest speech on one of the screens on her office wall. “I’m not happy that he’s decided to go after you personally.”

Ben scoffed, studying the face of the general more closely. He was younger than Ben had expected, possibly even Ben’s own age, with fiery red hair and a furious look on his face. He spoke with a clipped Coruscanti accent and was clearly passionate about his topic, which at that moment was Ben.

“Can you please try to lay low for a little while, at least until this general loses interest?” Ben’s mother continued. “All we need is for the First Order to put a bounty on your head or send out assassins.”

Ben thought about the message he’d sent the general. Hux probably hadn’t received it anyway, so that wasn’t _exactly_ breaking his mother’s orders. “Yes, mother,” he said, leaning over to kiss her on the crown of her head. “I’ll be safe, I promise.”

“I worry about you,” she said, pulling him into a hug. “You’re reckless and don’t always think everything through. There’s a lot of your father in you.”

Ben didn’t want to talk about his father. He pulled away from her embrace and quickly changed the subject. “What more have you learned about the Force bond between Poe and Finn?”

Leia pursed her lips. “They’ve needed to be close to one another or touching for the past four days while the bond has solidified. I holoed your uncle, but he didn’t know much about it other than what was recorded in the old Jedi holocrons. These bonds are pretty unusual, but what Luke found was that it should eventually allow them to separate once more, for longer and longer durations of time. They’ll have a unique bond for the rest of their lives, though.”

Ben pushed down the jealousy that still squirmed in his gut – Poe, someone who already had everything, acquired some soulmate through the Force as well? Meanwhile, Ben, who was awkward and didn’t fit in, who didn’t have anyone who understood him, would remain alone? It was typical, and it infuriated him.

“Why was it Poe?” he asked, wincing the moments the words left his mouth. He hadn’t meant to voice those thoughts aloud, not even to his mother. “Why don’t these good things ever happen to me?”

His mother gave him a sad look, which made his gut wrench more – he hardly wanted her pity. “Oh honey, I don’t think this is necessarily a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ thing. Poe and Finn can’t even be separate from each other by more than a few feet right now. Poe’s going crazy because he can’t fly with the others.” She reached up and ruffled his hair. “You’ll find the person for you someday, I promise.”

Ben snorted. “Pretty sure they don’t exist.” He turned to leave her office, wallowing a little in his self-pity.

“Ben!” his mother called after him. “Don’t forget about the general! No more missions until he loses interest!”

“Yes, mother,” Ben said obediently, not sure if he intended to actually obey her orders or not. Missions were pretty much the only thing that made his life interesting.

It was night on D’Qar, and the light from the Resistance base was minimal as Ben made his way back to his quarters, allowing the full spectrum of stars to be visible. The night was just cold enough to make them seem brighter, somehow, and Ben stared up at them, feeling his own loneliness reflected in them. He didn’t even know what was wrong with him. He’d grown up in a good family, with parents who, although not always present, had always loved him. Why did he always feel like there was such a hole in his heart? Sometimes the feeling was so overwhelming, it was almost too much to bear.

He’d mostly resigned himself to his fate of being misunderstood and alone forever, but then Poe had gone and gotten himself Force-bonded, and now the entirety of the feeling was back, flaring up out of control.

He returned to his quarters to find a message waiting on his datapad, and almost dropped the device in shock when he realized who it was from.

 _Mr. Organa Solo_ , General Hux had written. Ben could almost imagine the words being spoken in his fancy accent. _Admirer is not quite strong enough a term for the depth of feeling that your performance has inspired in myself. If you were to come repeat your performance in First Order space, my troops and I would be delighted to have the opportunity to meet you in person and host you in your very own interrogation cell for an extended duration of time. Yours, General Hux._

Ben barked a laugh. When he’d composed his message, he’d hardly expected a response along the same vein, thinking he’d get no answer at all or at the very most, some sort of stiff demand for him to cease blowing up First Order property. This…this was going to be _fun_.  
  
All thoughts of obeying his mother were gone from his mind as he opened a reply and began to type a response. When he was done, he sent it along and was surprised to find himself in a good mood for the rest of the day. 

His mood wasn’t even dampened by having to eat dinner with Poe and Finn, who were holding hands and eating their stew at the same time. It was kind of sickening.

“Finn is providing us with excellent intelligence,” Poe told him proudly, almost beaming. “We’re going to be able to take out a lot of the First Order’s resources. And we know about their superweapon.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Their superweapon?”

“We’re going to try to continue to sabotage its construction so that it doesn’t become fully operational,” Poe continued. “Finn didn’t know what system it was located in, somewhere on the Rim, but he knows a lot about the supply runs and how it’s being funded. Once we pointed out what it was all going towards, he was able to put it all together and form a semi-complete picture.” He seemed so proud, and Finn was blushing into his stew beside him.

Ben couldn’t even find it within himself to be irked. “Really? Are any other missions being planned?”

Finn beamed. “Yes! Several are going out in the next few days.”

“Ghent is going out tomorrow to Muunilinst, actually,” Poe informed him. Ghent was the Resistance’s top slicer, a middle-aged man who was not built for combat but was a genius with a computer. “He’s going to slice some First Order bank accounts and repurpose some of their funding.”

Ben laughed loudly. Oh, wouldn’t that annoy his ginger general? “What time is he leaving?”  
  
Poe and Finn glanced at one another nervously. “Your mother said she didn’t want you going out on any other missions for awhile,” Poe told him. Finn nodded earnestly beside him.

Ben gave an explosive sigh, sitting back in his chair heavily in defeat. “I can’t just hang around here on D’Qar until I lose my mind. Why won’t she let me _do_ something?” 

“General Organa is afraid that General Hux will attempt to have someone assassinate you,” Finn told him. “Which is a pretty smart thing to fear. Hux is terrifying.”

Ben gave them both a small smile, one that he knew for sure didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks. I’ll figure something out.” He stood before they could say anything more and excused himself from the mess hall.

He spent the night plotting, trying to figure out how to sneak along with Ghent on his mission. Finally, he decided that a straightforward approach would probably work best with someone as clueless about anything other than computers as Ghent was. The next morning, he went over to the tech support area of the base and found Ghent packing up some of his slicing equipment.

“Hey Ghent,” he said. “My mother is sending me along with you as a bodyguard.”

Ghent looked up, and his eyes widened nervously. “Oh?” he asked. “I thought…General Organa said…” he glanced behind him and then back at Ben. “She said that I wasn’t going to have obvious protection with me because it would attract undue attention?”

Ben waved his hand vaguely. “She changed her mind. Slicing into First Order bank accounts is a dangerous activity, and we want to make sure we get you back in one piece.”

“Well, okay,” Ghent said. “I guess that makes sense.”

“Just let me know when and where you’re leaving from, and I’ll be there to meet your transport,” Ben told him. After a long, confused stare, Ghent finally told him. Ben tried to remind himself that this was the slicer who had found the eavesdropping equipment in the ch’hala trees in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, when he’d been very small, aiding in the defeat of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the biggest threats to the Republic until the First Order had emerged. Even though Ghent appeared absent-minded and confused, he was the best slicer in the known galaxy.

About twenty minutes before Ghent was supposed to leave, Ben took his overnight bag and snuck on board the ship. As he settled himself in, he could hear his mother and Ghent speaking outside, and he hoped that his mother wouldn’t choose then to have one of her moments where she decided to actually use her Force abilities.

Luck, or the Force, was on Ben’s side, and soon Ghent was boarding and preparing the ship for travel. Ben emerged from one of the little cabins, causing Ghent to jump in surprise, but he accepted Ben’s presence with little suspicion, and soon they were off to Muunilinst.

The mission seemed, for the most part, as though it was going to go off without a hitch. Ghent easily gained access to the biggest of the First Order’s many accounts in a bank in the capital city of Harnaidan and drained it dry of credits, transferring them into the Resistance’s own coffers. No one at the bank seemed suspicious of them, and Ben stood around throwing glares at anyone who tried to mess with them.

It wasn’t until they were headed back to the skyhook to return to the orbital city of High Port Space Center that trouble struck. To remain as inconspicuous as possible, Ben had elected to take one of the flying taxis that circled Harnaidan, and halfway to the skyhook, their taxi shook with impact as something landed on the roof.

“What was that?!” Ghent exclaimed, glancing upward, his face pale.

“Don’t worry, I’ll check it out,” Ben assured him, pulling his lightsaber off his belt and moving to the front of the taxi where the controls sat. It was currently on autopilot, and Ben did not change the destination, but he did open the retractable skylight on the roof and stand on one of the seats to poke his head out.

A dark figure stood on the hood of their taxi, balancing using the Force, holding a blood-red lightsaber.

There was no way this was good.

Ben cursed. “Stay here!” he instructed to Ghent, using the Force to gracefully jump onto the roof of the taxi himself and igniting his own violet lightsaber.

The other Force-user was dressed all in black and wearing a boxy mask, watching Ben through slits for eyeholes. The dark side of the Force cloaked the figure like a blanket, and Ben grinned when he realized that this person probably thought they were going to be dealing with a Jedi. What a surprise it would be, then.

“Who are you?” he shouted, pointing his lightsaber at the figure. “Why are you here?”

“Jedi,” growled the figure, voice distorted by their mask. “I’m here to destroy you.”

“Are you with the First Order?” Ben asked. He hadn’t heard of them having any dark Jedi, but it wasn’t exactly like his mother kept him in the loop. “Who are you? Are you a Sith?”

The dark Jedi made a scoffing noise behind the mask. “Not a Sith,” they said in a tone that clearly communicated that they thought Ben was an idiot. “A Knight of Ren.”

Ben felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.

 _A Knight of Ren_.

Childhood drawings of his imagined group of warriors, himself as leader. Play-fighting with Poe with wooden staffs, pretending they were lightsabers. ‘ _I’m Kylo Ren and you can be one of my Knights!’_ An alias used on the holonet, named after the person he sometimes imagined himself to be.

 _A Knight of Ren_.

Ben didn’t have any more time to think, because in that moment, the knight struck. They fought with a style reminiscent of Ben’s own, pure brute strength with little finesse. Ben parried the strikes as best as possible, rusty after years of avoiding using his lightsaber for anything other than intimidation, but it was clear that this _knight_ was in far better practice than he was. The knight drove him to the edge of the taxi and for a moment, Ben caught a dizzying look at the spread of the city below as they continued to race towards the skyhook.

 _‘I’m better than this_ ,’ he thought angrily, forcing his whirling thoughts to relax so that he could access the Force with better ease. It swirled around him, almost tangible. It was as though he could taste it.

The knight seemed to sense him drawing on the Force and backed up, studying him. “What game are you playing? You can’t defeat me.”

Ben tossed them a smile, raw and wild. “When I’m fighting something out of my own imagination, I can do anything I want to.” With the Force as his guide, he switched to the offensive, the moves feeling perfectly natural, smooth as a dance. Even when he’d had lightsaber training every day, it had never come so easily, and he fiercely drove the knight back to the other edge of the taxi.

The taxi swerved to avoid a collision and the knight went flying from the edge, landing on another vehicle below. They stared up at Ben through the slits in their helmet and Ben knew that if he didn’t pursue them, they’d find another way to complete their mission. He switched off his lightsaber and performed a Force-powered leap, landing on the roof of the vehicle next to them. Screams sounded from the car below them; Ben and the knight both ignored them.

Lightsaber ignited once more, Ben drew on the Force and continued to drive the knight back. “Who are you?!” he shouted, furious and confused, his hair flying in his face from the wind. “How can you exist?!”

The knight seemed confused by these questions, parrying Ben’s strikes but not answering. They dueled fiercely, finally evenly matched in technique with the Force as Ben’s ally, and Ben wondered if this was what it felt like to be a Jedi.

Finally, the knight slipped up and backed into an antenna on top of the vehicle, tripping and falling over. Ben took the opportunity to pounce and pressed his lightsaber against the knight’s throat, bending over and yanking off the helmet to reveal the face inside.

A female Chiss stared back at him, her red eyes furious. “You’ll never win!” she declared.  
  
“Where did you come from? Are there others of you? Who’s your leader?” Ben demanded. He could hear the edge of insanity in his voice, but he needed those answers. 

The knight stared up at him and then caught his eye, grinning. He realized what she was going to do a split second before she moved forward and impaled herself on his lightsaber, killing herself instantly.

“NO!” Ben shouted, shaking her body as though it would take back the last thirty seconds of her life. “I want answers!” He was terribly, fiercely, angry, a rage that burned through him. It was the same rage that had ruled most of his teen years before he’d grown up and learned how to harness it, but it roiled in his mind now as though it had never left. He needed to destroy something.

The scared faces of a small Rodian family of four poking their heads out of the window of the vehicle he rode on were what brought him back before he drowned too deep in the anger; they took in his lightsaber and the body of the knight with wide eyes before scurrying back into the car.

“It’s okay!” Ben called after them, turning his lightsaber off. “The bad guy is dead. You’re safe.” His shirt whipped in the wind. He let go of the knight’s body and realized a moment later what a stupid move that had been; without the Force to hold it on the top of the car, her body slid off and plummeted into the city below. Ben would never be able to get any evidence off of it now.

He also had to find a way back to the skyhook before Ghent got himself into more trouble. He sighed and swung himself into the lower portion of the car through the open window. The Rodian family cowered in the backseat, but the mother flapped her snout at him and held herself in front her children.

“I mean you no harm,” Ben said, sending calming vibes out through the Force. “I’m a Jedi.” Or close enough, he guessed, even as much as he spent most of his life denying it. “I just need to get back to the skyhook. Once I’m there, you can go on your way.”

The family didn’t seem like they were going to stop him, so he took the controls and turned the vehicle around, joining the traffic flow towards the skyhook once more. As they flew, ‘ _Knight of Ren’_ kept repeating itself in his mind, over and over, like a chorus of his own impending insanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come play with me on [Tumblr](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com)!


	3. Chapter 3

Hux had spent several days ignoring Ben Organa Solo’s latest message.

 _General_ , it had read. _While I have no doubt about the quality of the accommodations provided by the First Order and your own hospitality, I’m afraid I have to decline your invitation at the present moment. I know it will be a devastating blow to the morale of your Order, so I suggest trying to entertain them in other ways. Unless you would like to provide me with the coordinates of your superweapon, in which case, I would be delighted to dedicate a performance just to you. Yours affectionately, Ben Organa Solo._

He was going to have to find Ben Organa Solo and have him murdered. There was really no other choice.

Not replying didn’t change the fact that Hux was hyperaware of the message, like he could feel the time he took to respond spooling out. When he woke up on the morning of the fourth day and replying to Organa Solo was his first thought, he was furious. He was not going to give in to this ridiculousness, he told himself sternly.

Hux rolled himself out of bed, preparing to start the day.

Starkiller Base was usually quiet in the early hours of the morning, so it was a bad sign that a young major from Accounting was waiting for Hux in his office, her face drawn and unhappy, worrying the hem of her uniform sleeves nervously.

“Sir,” she said, snapping to attention the moment he appeared. “We have a problem with our main bank account.”

It was way too early in the morning to deal with another setback. Hux held up a hand to silence her and took his time to sit at his desk, put his things away, and place a pod of tea into the cup of hot water that his droid had provided. He took a sip of the tea, which almost scalded his tongue, and sighed, allowing himself one second of peace before chaos descended.

“Okay, Major,” he said, opening his eyes and focusing on her. “Report.”

“I went to transfer credits to the supplier for our new order of focusing lenses, and the account said there were insufficient funds,” she informed him, still pulling at the hem of her sleeve. Hux frowned slightly – he’d thought he’d trained his people out of nervous ticks. “We checked the account and found that it had a balance of zero credits.”

“Perhaps you had the wrong account?” Hux asked, not daring to imagine what they’d do if it was the opposite. The First Order was, of course, in possession of backup accounts, with their assets spread across many systems, but it would take days to gather the sum necessary to pay off their construction company from their smaller holdings. This couldn’t be happening. 

The major shook her head. “I double- and triple-checked it, sir. It’s our main account. We should have over a million credits in there; we just processed another donation from the Empire of the Hand.”

“Get on the holo and contact the bank. I wish to speak with their president at once,” Hux demanded. One of the dangers of using banking systems outside the Republic was that they were not insured for any loss of their assets that was the bank’s fault, but perhaps some good old fashioned threats could see the return of their money quickly. “I _will_ get to the bottom of this. Stop processing payments for now and wait until we know more.” He gritted his teeth.

“Yes, sir,” the major said, scurrying from his office as quickly as possible. He didn’t blame her; he was sure that the look on his face suggested that somebody was going to suffer for this outrage.  
  
Hux next spoke with the bank’s president and reminded him that a Star Destroyer showing up and destroying all of his facilities would ruin his business far more than returning a million credits to the First Order account. The money wasn’t lost for good, but it was certainly going to set them back several more weeks, which was infuriating considering the delays that had already occurred. 

As he was going over their accounts, figuring out what payments could be delayed and which needed to be drawn from other holdings, Mitaka appeared in the doorway.

“Sir, you have a call in the audience chamber,” he told Hux.

The Supreme Leader was essentially the last person that Hux wished to speak to after the disaster that his day had already been, but even he couldn’t say no to an audience with Snoke. “Thank you, Mitaka,” he said. “I’ll be there presently.”

Hux sighed, adjusted his hat, smoothed the front of his uniform, and stalked out to the audience chamber.

The Supreme Leader’s hologram was already there, waiting for him. Hux gave a small bow of respect. “I am here, Supreme Leader,” he said, hoping that Snoke didn’t have any inkling of their financial troubles. It was always better to solve a problem before letting Snoke know it had occurred.

“There has been a disturbance in the Force,” the Supreme Leader said in his gravelly voice. Hux resisted the urge to roll his eyes, although he had a feeling that Snoke could sense his ambivalence; he hardly cared about the mystical Force nonsense that seemed to drive much of their work. “I sent Arlo Ren to Muunilinst where the greatest disturbance was coming from.”

It couldn’t be a coincidence. “Muunilinst, sir?” he asked cautiously.

“There, she was slain by a pretender Jedi, one who should never have belonged to the light side,” Snoke continued. “ _Kylo Ren_.” He spat the name as though it tasted foul.

Hux knew that name. Where did Hux know that name from?

“My condolences, Supreme Leader, for the loss of one of your Knights,” Hux said while he wracked his brain for when he’d heard the name Kylo Ren before.

“I _want_ him,” Snoke told Hux, his voice predatory in a way that gave Hux goosebumps on his arms under the thick wool of his greatcoat. “He was to have been my greatest achievement, my strongest apprentice. You will find him and bring him to me.”

“With all due respect, sir,” Hux began. “How do you expect my troops to succeed where Arlo Ren could not? They are hardly gifted in the Force.”

“I’m sending you the leader of the Knights,” Snoke said. “Syra Ren will guide you in his capture. Do not fail me this time, General. This is the most important task that I have ever bestowed upon you.” With this final pronouncement, his hologram winked out, leaving Hux alone in the echoing audience chamber.

Wonderful, Snoke was sending him one of his wizards, he thought crossly as he made his way back to his office, stopping by the command center to check on operations.  This was exactly what Hux needed.

Upon returning to his office and checking his messages, it hit him, suddenly and completely, exactly where he knew the name ‘Kylo Ren’ from – he hadn’t heard it at all, but he’d _seen_ it. He scrolled to Ben Organa Solo’s ridiculous message from a few days before. Sure enough, the ‘sender’ on his holonet account was listed as ‘Kylo Ren’, just as Hux remembered.

Could Organa Solo be the Kylo Ren that the Supreme Leader was searching for?

Hux opened a new message and stared at the screen thoughtfully.

 _Organa Solo_ , he finally wrote. _You are an infuriating creature. I would hate to think that you had anything to do with the loss of our assets from our primary bank account on Muunilinst.  I do have to confess, though, I am somewhat mystified by the fact that your messages continue to arrive under the alias of Kylo Ren. Would you care to explain the origin of the name? Yours as always, General Hux._

Satisfied, he sent the message before he could change his mind, determined to not think about how annoying he found Organa Solo or what he would do if he happened to be the same person as the Kylo Ren that the Supreme Leader was desperately seeking.

* * *

The moment Ben returned to D’Qar, he tore his room apart looking for his old sketchbook. He didn’t realize how irrational he appeared until Poe and Finn came to fetch him for dinner and found him standing in the middle of all of his possessions, pushing his sweaty hair out of his face with a wild look in his eyes. 

“Ben!” Poe exclaimed. “Are you okay? What are you doing?”

“I have to find it,” Ben said. “I’m not losing my mind!”

Finn backed away from Ben like one would from a feral animal, but Poe had been friends with Ben Organa Solo since childhood and was hardly afraid of his moods. He stood his ground. “Ben,” he said calmly. “What are you looking for?”

“My old sketchbook! I know it’s here somewhere.” Ben tore through another drawer, tossing clothes out onto the floor. “I have to find it!”

Poe knelt on the ground next to him and put his hands on Ben’s shoulders. “Breathe,” he ordered. “We’ll find your sketchbook. Why are you looking for it?”

Ben didn’t know if he should tell him; he didn’t know if he wanted anyone else to know about his childhood imaginings coming to life in front of his eyes. Then he realized, _Poe would know_.

“Do you remember when we were kids? We used to play Knights of Ren?” he asked.

Poe watched him for a moment, then nodded. “They were your imaginary Jedi order, right? We used to pretend to be them?”

Ben nodded, relief flooding him – he’d been right, he _wasn’t_ losing his mind. “My name was Kylo. Kylo Ren. And you insisted on being Polo Ren.”

“I was _five_ ,” Poe said, his face heating up. “They were silly names, but we were just kids.” 

“That’s the thing,” Ben replied, turning around and surveying the mess. “I just fought a woman on Muunilinst, a Force-user, who claimed to be one of the Knights of Ren.”

Poe frowned, and asked, “wait, when did you go to Muunilinst?”

That was nothing compared to Finn’s reaction; he paled and grabbed Ben’s arm. “You fought a Knight of Ren? And you survived?”

“You know who the Knights of Ren are?” Ben asked, completely ignoring Poe’s question. It had never occurred to him that Poe’s new boyfriend might be a source of information on the mysterious figures from his childhood that had appeared.

“They’re not in the normal military hierarchy, and they only answer directly to the Supreme Leader. Nobody really knows much about them, other than that they’re scary, they’re all masked, and they do his bidding.”

“Are they all Force-users?” Ben asked.

“They carry lightsabers,” Finn confirmed. “At least, all the ones I’ve seen.”

Ben raised himself off the floor and sat down heavily on his bed, stacks of his clothes falling to the floor as he destabilized them. “I can’t believe it. How can they be real?”

“Maybe someone found your sketchbook?” Poe suggested. “Didn’t you start writing some sort of story about them too, when you were a teenager?”

“When Mom sent me away to my uncle’s academy,” Ben confirmed. “I was only thirteen though, it’s not like it was a _good_ story. Hardly something you’d create an entire real order out of.” He sighed and smoothed his hair down. “At least I’m not going insane.”

“While sometimes we all wonder, I think in this regard, you’re as sane as we are,” Poe told him, which wasn’t all that comforting. “Are you coming to dinner?”

Ben picked up his datapad to check the time and saw that he had a new message waiting. “Just a moment,” he said. “I’ll meet you there. I want to get some of this stuff cleaned up.” Poe and Finn nodded and left, the door sliding shut behind them, and Ben was left alone with a new message from the First Order general who had become his pen pal.

The message sent a chill down his spine once he’d read it – could it be coincidence, that Hux was asking about the source of the nickname Kylo Ren _now_? He thought about it for a moment and realized that Hux might be a good source of information about what was going on with him – Finn clearly didn’t know more, and the last thing Ben wanted to do was bring his current knowledge to his mother, who would probably not fill in the pieces but instead yell at him for disobeying her orders and then fret at him.

 _My dearest Hux,_ he began typing, amused at the fond tone they’d taken to address each other in these strange, otherworldly messages. _Kylo Ren was my childhood creation, a hero who was strong when I was not. He was leader of a group of Knights, all sworn to follow and protect him, and he was modeled off the legacy of my grandfather, a man I believe you would know as Darth Vader. Of course, like all childish things, I outgrew the fantasy but keep the name as an alias to remind myself of what I am capable of._ He considered what he had written. How far could he push this so that Hux would respond with information without realizing that Ben already knew that the Knights of Ren existed? _Sometimes I do still dream that the Knights of Ren were real instead of imaginary, as it would be rather nice to have an order of Force-users dedicated to my protection._ Too heavy-handed?

To offset his obvious attempt at gleaning information from Hux, he finished the message off with, _I’m so glad that you appreciated my second performance at Muunilinst. It was truly one to be remembered. I even dedicated that work to you, which I’m sure you’ll find quite the honor. Yours, Ben Organa Solo_.

He pushed the send button and dropped his datapad back on his desk, leaving to join Poe and Finn for dinner. He’d clean up later, after the thoughts in his head were done swirling feverishly.

* * *

Halfway through the day, Captain Phasma brought Hux some amateur videos of the fight that had occurred on Muunilinst between Arlo Ren and the unidentified Jedi that Snoke had called Kylo Ren. As Hux squinted at the wobbly footage, obviously taken from a speeder that was in the same traffic pattern as the ones upon which the two fought, he tried to make out Kylo Ren’s features. 

The man fought with a purple lightsaber and moved with elegance despite his gangly build. It was mesmerizing, watching him fight Arlo, the way his body moved and how he matched every strike. The second video that he opened had been taken from closer and had a better view, and this time, there was no denying the face of the man with the purple lightsaber.

The resolution was better than it had been in the grainy security footage from Abregado-rae, and Kylo Ren was undeniably none other than Ben Organa Solo. _Of course he was_. Hux didn’t seem to be able to escape the man.

With the better footage, he was able to watch Organa Solo’s expressive face during the fight. Hux wasn’t sure if he’d call his face handsome or not; his features were larger than expected, and incredibly animated. He had dark, flashing eyes and a gorgeous mouth, and Hux paused the video on a clear shot of his face to study it further. Organa Solo’s hair was free in these videos and blowing every which way in the wind, and it was lovely, the kind of hair that Hux wanted to sink his fingers into.

He shook himself violently, coming back to himself all at once in horror. What had come over him?!

Well, it was convenient that the Supreme Leader wanted Kylo Ren brought in, since Hux had just decided he wanted Ben Organa Solo alive and a permanent resident of one of his holding cells. Maybe he could even make him watch as Starkiller Base became operational and destroyed the Republic and the Resistance in one fell swoop. That would certainly remove the ridiculous smirk from his horrible face.

He commed Captain Phasma. “Have a bounty announcement sent out to all the major holo networks,” he said. “100,000 credits for Ben Organa Solo, captured alive. There will be no payout if he’s killed.”

“Yes, sir,” Phasma’s voice answered. “I’ll do so at once.”

Hux settled smugly back in his chair, _finally_ feeling in control of the situation. They still had to reclaim their lost credits, and Starkiller Base was probably two months behind schedule at that point, but at least he would have Organa Solo dealt with, preferably before Snoke troubled him with the presence of Syra Ren.

His datapad pinged with a new message, and Hux checked it, expecting an update on their financial situation. Instead, he had a new message from Organa Solo himself. The timing was impeccable.

Hux read the message slowly, digesting the information that Organa Solo had sent him. Kylo Ren as a childhood alter ego? His own fictional Knights of Ren? None of it made any sense to him, not when faced with reality. It had to be coincidence, didn’t it, that Ben Organa Solo’s childhood imaginings had turned into a real order of Force-users who served the First Order?

Remembering Snoke’s words, Hux’s heart sank. ‘ _He was to have been my greatest achievement, my strongest apprentice.’_ It wasn’t coincidence. Snoke and Organa Solo were connected, somehow, from years ago, and that was why Snoke wanted him so badly.

He didn’t know why that prospect angered him so much.

Rather than wait to reply, as he had in the past, Hux pulled up a blank message and typed his reply immediately. He could now imagine Organa Solo on the other side, receiving his messages, worrying his plush bottom lip with his teeth as he read thoughtfully, smirking as he came up with the perfect, needling reply. The image was vivid in his mind as he finished typing and sent the message, and he smiled to himself afterwards, as though congratulating himself on a job well done.

Phasma commed again. “Sir,” she said. “The bounty has been set on Organa Solo’s head and sent out through the holonet. I will keep you posted on the results.”

“Well done,” Hux congratulated her. “I hope that soon Organa Solo will be enjoying our hospitality here at Starkiller Base personally.”

* * *

“I told you to keep your head down for awhile!” Ben’s mother yelled, her eyes flashing. “And then I get a message that not _only_ were you seen dueling with _lightsabers_ on Muunilinst, but now the First Order has set a bounty on your head for 100,000 credits, deliverable to General Hux himself! How can you have been this _stupid_?!" 

Ben faced her, his face stubbornly expressionless. He was furious about the bounty as well, but hardly for the same reason that his mother was. How stupid he was, to have thought that these silly messages meant that he and Hux had some sort of _connection_. How did he even know that the person on the other side of the holonet was the general himself? It could have easily been some sort of underling; Ben would never have known the difference. And now, Hux had put a _price on his head?_

He didn’t know why he felt so betrayed – Hux was a First Order general, this is what they _did_ – but he did, his heart thudding uncomfortably in his chest. And even if he wasn’t sure that the messages were from Hux, the bounty clearly was, because it was deliverable to Hux himself.

 _Deliverable to Hux himself_.

It suddenly struck him. “Mother!” Ben said, cutting off more of her tirade. “We’ve been looking at this all wrong. This isn’t a bad thing at all.”

She regarded him with one raised eyebrow, clearly unhappy with him. “Oh? And why is that?”  
  
“Call Rey – I’m going to need the help of a Jedi.” He grinned, all Han Solo swagger. “I’m going to get us the location of the First Order’s superweapon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on [tumblr](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com/)!


	4. Chapter 4

Rey was less than happy to be called in from her father’s academy, but like always, she came when Ben asked. “The fate of galaxy rests on our shoulders!” he’d exclaimed to her, and she’d been on the next ship out despite making fun of his theatrics.

While he awaited her arrival, Ben stared at his latest message from Hux, trying to decide whether or not to respond.

 _Organa Solo,_ it read. _You should be aware by now that the Knights of Ren are also a real order that serve the First Order, very similar to your childhood tales. There is something that ties you to us, something far beyond these silly messages you keep sending to me. Our Supreme Leader knows who you are and desires your power; I don’t know any of the details, but I believe he may be linked to you more than you know. Be careful and watch yourself. You have been such a thorn in my side that I would be devastated if anyone other than myself were to capture you. Yours, General Hux._

He’d discovered the message after his meeting with his mother several days before, and it had mostly left him confused. The First Order’s Supreme Leader desired his power and had some link with him since childhood? It sounded preposterous, but it would certainly explain quite a lot.

By the time Rey had arrived on D’Qar, a couple days had passed and Ben still hadn’t decided how to respond to Hux. He felt almost like he was letting Hux down – which was _ridiculous_.

“Ben!” Rey shouted as she exited the transport, running into his arms and giving him a wide hug. “It’s been too long!” It had indeed been a long time; there was no place in the galaxy that Ben hated more than Luke’s Jedi school on Yavin IV, so he pretty much avoided it on principle.

Poe was there to meet her as well and she gave him an equally enthusiastic hug before pulling back and eyeing Finn. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice softer than normal.

Finn gave her a shaky smile and said, “my name is Finn,” holding out his hand for her to shake. She took it and then gave him a hug as well. Her happy affection was contagious, and Ben found himself smiling despite his still-sour mood.

“Did my mother tell you why we summoned you?” Ben asked. He knew that his mother had touched base with Rey as well, even though he’d been the one to ask her to come, but he wasn’t aware of what had been said between them.

“Only that you have a foolish idea that’s probably going to get you killed and that if I didn’t help you, I’d be short a cousin,” Rey said, smacking him on the arm. “What have you been up to?!”

“Hey!” Ben exclaimed. “I’ve been saving the galaxy! What have _you_ been up to?”

“Learning the ways of the Force, like my father before me,” Rey told him. Her eyes were bright and happy; she’d always loved all that Jedi crap almost as much as Ben himself had hated it. “Probably better than creating trouble for the First Order like you’ve been doing. Yes, I heard about it. We all heard about it. I thought Dad was going to have a heart attack when Aunt Leia told him you dueled some Sith with lightsabers on top of a taxi.”

“You dueled that Knight of Ren on top of a _taxi_?!” Poe demanded. “While it was _moving_?!” For once in his life, Ben seemed to have impressed Poe Dameron.

“Wait, Knights of Ren?” Rey asked. “Like your weird fictional characters?”

“They’re not _weird_ ,” Ben snapped. “I created them when I was a kid, it’s not _strange_. People do that all the time. Your imaginary friend was a Toydarian named Zolf.”

“Zolf was the best Jedi on the Outer Rim,” Rey sniffed. “Don’t you bring him into it.”

Ben decided it was time to change the subject. “You’ve heard of Force bonds, right?” he asked instead. “Guess who went and got himself Force bonded.”

Rey’s mouth gaped open and she pointed at him. “You?! Who’d Force-bond with _you_?!”

Ben flushed angrily. “Not me! Poe! I was talking about Poe!” He pointed at where Poe and Finn were shoulder to shoulder, which was a little more under-the-radar than their normal hand stroking, but still kind of obvious. He was a little hurt by her question, but he was determined not to show it. “We met Finn on a mission, and they’ve been inseparable since.”

Rey broke out into a huge grin. “Really?! Are you Force-sensitive?” she asked Finn, who shrugged.

“I’m relatively sure he is,” Ben replied. To Finn, he said, “don’t let her talk you into going to her dad’s school, that place is the _worst_.”

Rey stuck her tongue out at him and turned back to Finn. “We need to talk,” she began.

“Later,” Ben’s mother’s voice said behind them all. They whirled around to see her watching them, a small smile on her face. “Hello, Rey,” she said to her niece. “It’s been awhile.”

“Aunt Leia!” Rey was off again, this time practically bowling his mother over with a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you too. Come, let’s meet somewhere more private so we can discuss Ben’s plan.” To Ben’s surprise, his mother threw a look at him that was a mixture of worried-exasperated and _proud_. It was practically unheard of.

Ben’s mother led them to a private conference room and they seated themselves at a round table. Rey had lost some of her exuberance, trying to match the seriousness of the situation, and regarded them all as maturely as a nineteen-year-old Jedi could be expected to.

“Has Ben told you anything about his plan?” Ben’s mother asked. Rey shook her head and everyone looked curiously at Ben, who flushed under their scrutiny.

“There’s a price on my head, a big one, from the First Order,” Ben said, thinking of the message he’d never responded to and feeling warm all over. He pushed those thoughts aside – now was not the time to worry about Hux. “We know that the First Order is building a new superweapon, at the same level or worse than the Death Star, but we don’t know where it’s located. According to the bounty, I’m to be delivered alive to General Hux personally, and all of our available intelligence places General Hux at the construction site for this weapon.”

Rey took all this information in with pursed lips. “Okay. How do I come in?” she asked.

“I’m going to get myself captured on purpose,” Ben told her. “I can’t wear a tracker because they’ll scan me and find anything immediately, even a subdermal implant. But you and I are both strong in telepathic Force abilities. If we can strengthen that connection, I have a feeling that you can find me anywhere.”

Rey blinked. “So basically, you want to use me to track the location of the First Order’s new superweapon by becoming their prisoner?”

“My mother doesn’t like this plan,” Ben said, glancing at Leia. “But it seems to be the best way to find out the location of their weapon. We’ve set them back a few months in construction, but we’ve got to destroy that thing before it becomes operational.”

“I’m all for discovering the location of their weapon,” his mother pointed out. “I’m just not so thrilled with the idea of using you as bait.”

“Why _do_ you have a price on your head?” Rey asked, tilting her head at Ben. “What did you do?”

“What?” he asked. “Why do you think I did anything?”

“General Hux is obsessed with him,” Poe interjected. “He made some speech about how Ben is the First Order’s number one enemy, and now he’s put this price out on Ben’s head. For some reason, he’s fixated on him as some sort of personification of the Resistance.”

Ben was blushing. He could feel it, his entire body warm and his cheeks heating. As everyone turned and looked at him, he met their scrutiny boldly, even though he wanted to shy away from it.

“He’s not _obsessed_ with me,” Ben insisted.

“He’s acting pretty irrationally,” Finn pointed out. “We knew significant amounts about the Resistance leadership and many of your agents who went on many missions. Why are you the one who General Hux has singled out?”

Ben couldn’t exactly tell them that he’d sent Hux provocative messages via the holonet in order to irritate him. He also couldn’t admit that he was kind of irrational about Hux himself.

“So because Hux is obsessed with you, you’re going to go around being really visible and getting his attention so that bounty hunters or the First Order itself will kidnap you?” Rey asked, clearly skeptical.

“Exactly,” Ben confirmed. “What can go wrong?”

His mother pinched the bridge of her nose. “You really should stop saying things like that,” she said.

Later, in his room, Ben studied the message from Hux once again, this time with the previous conversation ringing through his head. _General Hux is obsessed with him_ , Poe had said. Ben didn’t know how he felt about it – on the one hand, being the object of this fixation was a strange concept. Even though it was born from annoyance, this First Order general he’d never even met was fixated on the fact that Ben existed, as a person. It made Ben feel light-headed, like his skin didn’t fit right, like fireworks were going off in his stomach.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the message and the fact that he hadn’t replied. Was Hux upset? Was he refreshing his datapad? Was he worried that one of his goons had already caught Ben?

Ben had other reasons to want to be captured by the First Order as well, reasons that had nothing to do with Hux. He reminded himself of that sternly. He had to get to the bottom of this Knights of Ren business, and Hux’s words had done nothing to dissuade him from solving that mystery other than convincing him that any answers were only going to come from the First Order. He was not acting irrationally or strangely; it was a perfectly smart plan for someone like him with multiple objectives.

He stared at his datapad again. It felt a little bit like his datapad was staring back.

Ben growled to himself and snatched the datapad off of his desk, opening a blank message and addressing it to Hux. _My darling general_ , he began, realizing as he typed the words that he actually meant them, in a way that made his stomach clench. _After receiving your most recent gift, I was a bit taken aback. If you were that desperate to see me in person, you should have just sent me a personalized invitation. For you, I could have hardly refused; if you had provided me with the coordinates of your location, I’d have happily brought some friends for a party. Now I will have to dodge all of your henchmen and it’s going to be inconvenient._ He frowned at the message, not sure if he was invoking the right tone. _I’ll have to be sure to leave you some presents in return. I hope you enjoy them. Yours always, Ben._

He pressed send before he could read it over, forcing himself to divest himself of the message. It was time to start planning his first attention-getting mission.

* * *

Hux had finally stopped checking his datapad for messages from Organa Solo and concluded that they were done corresponding. Several days had gone by with no reply, and Hux was beginning to wonder if placing a bounty on Organa Solo’s head had been a step too far. 

When his datapad pinged while he was eating dinner with Phasma, he forced himself not to jump and check it immediately. He finished the sandwich that had been prepared for him, forcing down the tough meat from somewhere on the Outer Rim with a grimace. He calmly gathered all of his utensils and napkins and placed them on the dining tray. He took deep breaths in and out, forcing himself to walk slowly over to the washing station and drop off his tray. The entire length of the dining hall, he could feel the pull of his datapad from where it sat in his bag next to Phasma. _Check me, check me,_ it called, _maybe that message was from Organa Solo_.

Hux was a First Order general. He was not a slave to this…fixation…that he had. He refused to indulge himself. Organa Solo would soon be his prisoner, and then he would turn him over to Snoke, who would probably kill him.

He walked back to his seat at a brisk pace and snatched the datapad out of his bag, checking his messages and feeling the breath knocked out of him when he saw the sender: _Kylo Ren_. It was Ben.

Phasma glanced at him oddly. “Is everything okay, sir?” she asked.

He forced himself to put the datapad back down without reading the message, nodding at her. “Everything’s fine, Phasma. I just received something interesting. I’ll read it later.” He forced himself to sit through a conversation with Phasma about the newest model of blaster coming out from BlasTech and allowed her to finish her meal before he finally, _finally_ , excused himself and walked as quickly as possible back to his rooms.

Inside, he sat on the bed and pulled his datapad out, opening Organa Solo’s message. It was short, as always, and filled with the same doublespeak that all of their correspondences were, but something about it still made his heart lighten.

Hux stared at the desolate landscape of Starkiller Base outside his window, annoyed with himself for being so ridiculous. Organa Solo was the enemy, so why was he so relieved to receive a message from him? The man infuriated him.

He decided not to answer right away, not that Organa Solo would spend days endlessly checking for new messages like Hux himself had. Organa Solo was probably just toying with him, taunting him as a way to entertain himself when he was bored on their godforsaken Resistance base.

Hux let a day or two go by, kept busy trying to compensate for all the lost time on Starkiller’s construction. The base itself was operational, but its functionality as a weapon was still months away.

The second day after Hux received the message from Organa Solo, Syra Ren arrived.

She was on the short side and wore a mask, just like all of the knights that Hux had met in the past, and as she exited her ship, she scanned the landing bay on Starkiller Base, radiating distaste that was obvious even with her face obscured. Hux _hated_ working with the Knights of Ren – being forced to was yet another reason to hate Ben Organa Solo.

“General,” Syra Ren spoke, her voice distorted by the mask. “I understand that you have put a bounty out on the head of Kylo Ren. That is a good start, but it is unlikely that a non-Force user will be able to bring him in. Keep me appraised of any reports of his whereabouts and I will track him. I will require use of the Finalizer to do so.”

“Of course,” said Hux. “As the Supreme Leader commands.” Internally, he seethed at having his authority superseded.

“Very good. Don’t disappoint me, General. Kylo Ren is the most important prisoner we could ever have. I expect we shall capture him soon.” With that, Syra Ren stalked off into the interior of the base. Hux hadn’t even told her where her quarters were, and he wondered with a shudder if she’d read it out of his mind. What else could she have found there? Would she know about his correspondence with Organa Solo?

Hux decided – he would have to be vigilant not to think about such things when Syra Ren was around.

Reports of Ben Organa Solo’s whereabouts appeared sooner than expected when Mitaka came careening into his office later that afternoon, out of breath and taking deep gulps of air. “Sir!” he said when he’d composed himself. “Turn the holo on and switch to the Republic news network. You’ll want to see this.”

Hux’s people were well-trained and wouldn’t interrupt him over something frivolous, so whatever was on the news was clearly serious. Hux turned on the holo and switched to the Republic’s main news channel. He immediately saw why Mitaka had come running – Ben Organa Solo himself was speaking to the Republic Senate.

It was the best quality video that Hux had seen of him yet, and the first thing he noticed was that Leia Organa’s son cleaned up well. He had his ridiculous hair in elegant braids and was wearing a set of robes in beautiful brocade, very different than the scoundrel-like attire that he’d had on in the other images that Hux had seen of him.

“The First Order is a more serious threat than you think,” Organa Solo was saying to some senator who had challenged him. “We have evidence that they’re in the process of constructing a superweapon on the level of the Death Star. Or worse.”

“Preposterous,” said the Bothan senator, standing up to further make his point. “The First Order are hardly more than a band of Imperial dreamers living on the fringes of space. They don’t have the resources to create such a weapon.”

From the clear roll of his eyes, Organa Solo was not practiced well in diplomacy. “Maybe five years ago, the First Order was insignificant. Now, they’ve recently taken over whole sectors in the Rim and Unknown Territories to fund themselves, setting themselves up to rival our Republic. Furthermore, they have in their employ at least one hostile Force-user.”

A murmur went through the Senate. Hux frowned, not enjoying that Ben was taking the information that he had personally sent him and broadcasting it to the entire population of the loathsome Republic.

“How do you know they have Force-users?” another senator demanded.

“I killed one,” Organa Solo said, a hint of pride sneaking into his voice. Interesting. Organa Solo was not a man who shied away from bloodshed. Hux noted that for further study later.

The broadcast continued, but Hux was interrupted from watching when Syra Ren burst into his office without knocking. “Prepare the Finalizer,” she ordered. “We are going to the Hosnian system at once.”

Hux gave her a skeptical look. “You can’t just take a Star Destroyer into the center of the Republic. The Republic Fleet is there. It’s suicide.”

“Kylo Ren is there,” she said, gesturing at Organa Solo’s face on the holo. “We are to capture him for my master as soon as possible.”

Hux gritted his teeth. “I also wish to help you capture Orga—Kylo Ren, but that doesn’t change the fact that you can’t go charging into the Republic’s most fortified system with a Star Destroyer. Hosnian Prime has the toughest security in the Republic, so even sneaking a team in under cover to snatch him would be incredibly difficult.”

“Then what do you propose, General?” Syra Ren demanded. On the screen, Organa Solo was still pontificating at the senate, and Hux forced his gaze away from the strong line of his jaw.

“It might be more prudent to wait until we hear of reports of Kylo Ren on a less protected planet. Bide your time and be patient. The time to capture him will come.”

Syra Ren was clearly unhappy with this suggestion. “If we choose this path, I _will_ be reporting to the Supreme Leader that you are the cause of our delay.”

Hux resisted the urge to take her up to the Finalizer and push her out an airlock. “Feel free. I stand by my decision. I imagine the Supreme Leader would not want us to lose an entire Star Destroyer filled with the best crew in the First Order, no matter how valuable this Kylo Ren is to his plans.” He kept his face expressionless, refusing to show a reaction to her threats.

“Fine,” she said, exiting his office in a swirl of black robes and fury.

During their argument, Organa Solo had finished speaking and the senate was now debating trade tariffs. Hux turned it off in annoyance, unable to stomach any further display of democracy.

He glanced at his datapad, then back at the holo. Sighing, he snatched up his datapad and started a reply to Organa Solo’s latest message.

* * *

“You did so well!” Rey said, giving Ben a hug and wrinkling his robes after the senate session was complete. “I don’t think you convinced them, but there’s no way that you weren’t broadcasted all over the galaxy. The First Order will definitely hear of this. 

“It’s not like they can come snatch me here on Hosnian Prime,” Ben replied, “although I’d like to see them try. This was mostly just to taunt them.” Or at least, taunt one particular person.

As if summoned by thought, the datapad that Ben carried under his arm gave a _ding_ with an incoming message, and Ben almost dropped everything he was carrying to try to juggle the screen up to see who it was from. It had been two whole days since he’d heard from Hux, and Ben was starting to worry that Hux had decided their little game wasn’t fun any longer.

But no, Ben’s heart sped up when he read that the message was definitely from Hux.  
  
Rey had noticed. She watched him shrewdly, her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?” she asked. 

“Nothing,” Ben said quickly. Too quickly.

“Who was that message from?” she continued, undeterred by his reticence. Ben mentally cursed himself for leaving his datapad’s sound on. “You’re blushing. Is there something you forgot to tell me about?”  
  
“I’m not blushing!” Ben snapped, ducking into a less-busy corridor so that all the senators and their aides wouldn’t overhear what was already an embarrassing conversation. He wracked his brain for an explanation that would explain both his excitement at receiving the message and his obvious guilt when she’d asked him about it, but nothing sprang to mind. 

Rey snatched the datapad out of his hands before he could stop her and stared at it. Her face went from triumphant to darkly expressionless within moments, and she looked up at Ben with a guarded glance.

“ _General Hux_?” she asked.

“I can explain,” Ben said, even though he couldn’t, not really.

“Why is a general of the First Order sending you _messages_?” Rey demanded. Then her eyes narrowed further, and before Ben knew it, she had her lightsaber out, although she hadn’t ignited it. “I know you joined the Resistance reluctantly. Are you a double agent? Are you reporting on your own mother?” There were tears in her eyes now, and Ben’s heart contracted painfully. He’d been so worried about getting in trouble for being stupid that he hadn’t even realized how _bad_ it would look to be caught with messages from Hux.

“I’m not a double agent!” Ben insisted. “Open it. Read it.” He wasn’t sure that he wanted Rey to read his messages with Hux, but it was better than her thinking he was betraying them. It wasn’t like Hux would say anything sensitive, was it?

Rey watched him doubtfully, but she stowed her lightsaber back on her belt and opened up the message. He hadn’t expected her to, but she read aloud. “ _Dearest Ben,”_ she started, raising an eyebrow at the salutation. “ _I have just had the pleasure of witnessing your excellent oratory skills, and while your message was distasteful, I am still impressed. Please so kind as to wear the same red brocade when you’re the guest of our prison cell block; it does wonders for your features...”_ She stopped reading and stared at him. “What the hell is this? Have you and General Hux been writing each other _love letters_?!”

Ben felt his cheeks flushing hotly. “No!” he insisted. “It began because I found his contact address listed on the holonet, and I wanted to annoy him! But now we write each other back and forth to taunt each other.”

“Oh my god,” said Rey. “ _That’s_ why he’s obsessed with you!”

“He’s not obsessed with me!”

“Oh my god,” Rey said again. “You’re obsessed with him too!”

Ben deflated like a puppet whose strings had been cut. “You don’t understand,” he muttered. “Sometimes I don’t even know why I’m here. Annoying the general was…fun. I don’t get to have much fun in my life, not anymore.”

Rey’s expression grew soft and she handed him back the datapad. “Ben,” she murmured. “You don’t need to go to the First Order to find a friend. You can always talk to me.”

“He’s not my _friend_ ,” Ben denied vehemently.

“Is this why you want to get captured by the First Order?” Rey asked. “So that you can see General Hux?”

Ben shook his head. “No, I promise this is for the mission.” He didn’t say anything about the Knights of Ren, even though he thought about it. “I hadn’t really considered what I was going to do with Hux when I finally saw him in person.”

“You might have to kill him,” Rey pointed out. “Can you handle that?”

Ben’s heart sank at the thought. He didn’t know why such a thing made his palms go sweaty and his breathing difficult, like all the oxygen had left his lungs. Hux was, and had always been, the enemy. Stupid fixation or no stupid fixation, Ben would do his duty.

That night, he dreamed of a redhead whose face he’d only seen a few times. Hux wore a First Order uniform and an unhappy look, his mouth turned in a dour frown, and Ben stood beside him on a bridge above a chasm below, in some sort of giant chamber.

“We’re going to destroy it,” he found himself saying. “You have to come with me.”

Hux shook his head, stubborn to the last. “I won’t let you defeat us like this. Starkiller Base is my magnum opus, the culmination of years of engineering work. You and your Resistance are going to be put down like the dogs you are, and your years of plaguing the galaxy with democracy are over.”

Ben stared at him pleadingly, moving closer. “Please, Hux. I don’t want to have to kill you.” It was only then that he realized the hilt of his lightsaber was in his palm, his finger pressed against the switch. Hux glanced down at it but didn’t react.

“We’re enemies, Organa Solo. Killing each other is what enemies do.” Despite his calm exterior, Ben could sense that beneath the surface, Hux was racing with feelings and thoughts. He was torn, pulled between two ends, drawn to…Ben?

Ben moved forward again, still not igniting his lightsaber, pushing into Hux’s space and backing him further down the bridge towards one exit. “I don’t believe that,” he declared hotly. “We’ve never truly been enemies, you and I.” Somehow, he could _sense_ Hux’s pulse speed up at Ben’s words, like they had some sort of strange connection, forged through the Force. He pushed further until he was standing nose to nose with Hux, staring in his eyes. “You’re not meant to die by my hand.”

“I’m not going to let you destroy Starkiller Base,” Hux said, not flinching from Ben’s gaze. “So you’d better kill me.”

Ben moved in to hold his lightsaber against Hux’s throat, but at the last minute, he froze and changed course. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Hux and leaned down to press a savage kiss against the unhappy bow of his mouth. Hux kissed him back, pressing up against him, tangling one hand in his unruly hair and _pulling_ , causing Ben to moan slightly into his mouth.

Hux bit his bottom lip and Ben tasted blood, pulling away to stare at him. Hux stared ferociously back, his mouth red and swollen, his eyes fierce.

“You can’t have it,” he hissed. “Starkiller Base is _mine_.”

Ben awoke gasping, achingly hard and with only two thoughts in his mind. The first was ‘Starkiller Base’, and the second was _oh shit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on [Tumblr!](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com/)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking longer than normal to post - I had a pretty insane week last week and barely a spare moment. I'll also reply to all of your lovely comments on my last chapter soon. Anyway, enjoy - I hope this chapter is well worth the wait!

Organa Solo spent the next week being increasingly infuriating and costing Hux a lot of time and personnel.

After Organa Solo had left Hosnian Prime, Syra Ren had insisted that Hux accompany her on the Finalizer so that they could wait in an unaffiliated system close to the Core and jump whenever they heard reports of Organa Solo’s presence. Hux hated to leave his precious weapon when it was in such a critical period of construction, but Syra Ren insisted that her orders came directly from Snoke, so Hux dutifully moved to the Finalizer and the rest of his people remained at Starkiller Base to oversee construction.

In the ensuing week, Ben Organa Solo did the following: surprised a First Order listening post on Hoth, leaving all the troops tied up waiting for help to arrive; hacked into a First Order database and erased all of the data, leaving simply a document saying ‘property of General Hux’; impersonated a First Order officer at the outpost on Jakku and revealed their entire spy network on that planet; and, worst of all, called their construction supplies depot and used Hux’s own accent to _cancel_ their new order of focusing lenses for Starkiller Base.

Hux was incensed. How could one person cause so much trouble?

Organa Solo’s messages had also escalated along with his behavior. Less than a day after his senate speech, Hux had received a reply that had started with ‘ _My darling General’_ and gone downhill from there. He’d almost, _almost_ deleted the entire message in his fury, but something had made him resist. 

_My darling General_ , it had read. _I’m so delighted to hear that you had the opportunity to observe my senate session. I have, unfortunately, not had the same amount of time to observe your own face. While the Resistance has quite a collection of your speeches from the holonet, I imagine that you are far more attractive when you’re not spitting out expletives about the Resistance and the Republic. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind attaching a private video along with your next correspondence so that I can see you for myself? Always yours, Ben._  
  
Hux had blushed bright red upon reading this message, his mind manufacturing a host of inappropriate scenarios for a video that he could send. Instead of actually doing so, he had instead replied,

_Organa Solo. Unfortunately, you are not going to get a video out of me. Sorry to disappoint.  However, your flirting is growing more blatant; are you finally beginning to realize that you can’t run from the First Order? When we finally have you, I assure you that you’ll have all the time you need to study my face, especially when I’m torturing the location of the Resistance base from you. Affectionately, Hux._

Organa Solo had replied, _My dear Hux, if it’s your face I get to look at, I believe I’ll find any torture very enjoyable. Yours with pleasure, Ben._

Hux hated him utterly.

Now they had a report that Organa Solo was serving as a courier to help deliver supplies from the Resistance to an unaffiliated rebel cell located on Anoat. The rebels were camped out on the planet despite the terrible ecological damage done by the Empire, and Organa Solo was bringing them much-needed medical and air-filtering equipment. It was also the first time that the First Order had discovered Organa Solo’s whereabouts while he’d still been present and not after the fact.

“We’re still close to the Anoat sector,” Syra Ren said, her voice triumphant even through the distortion of the mask. They had just finished cleaning up their disaster of a listening post on Hoth, after all, also in the Anoat sector. “We have him now.” Hux couldn’t help himself; he felt a thrill go up his spine at the thought of finally capturing Organa Solo, and it _terrified_ him.

Hux had always prided himself on not being easily swayed by others. He cared about the soldiers under his command and treated them well, but he was hardly upset when they fell in battle, other than from a strategic standpoint. His friendships were superficial and based on work. Ben Organa Solo was the first time that the existence of another person had affected him so utterly, and it infuriated him. Why did he care so much about what Organa Solo thought, how he felt, what it would be like to see him in person for the first time? Why, when almost every other person in the galaxy left him so disinterested?

Hux wanted to go on the mission to snatch Organa Solo, but Syra Ren immediately nixed that idea. “You will stay with the ship,” she ordered. Hux’s hackles raised at the presumption that he would take orders from her. “If we need to move quickly to leave, we will need someone in command on board the Finalizer.”

Unfortunately, she was right, and even Hux had to admit it. He wasn’t about to risk his precious ship just to catch a glimpse of Organa Solo’s ridiculous face.

He monitored the mission from the bridge, checking in on Syra Ren’s progress in tracking Organa Solo. The latter was currently traveling via speeder bike from one city to the next, since ship travel was limited due to a large, toxic chemical plant belching tons of waste into the atmosphere. One lone rider on a speeder bike could maneuver around the plumes and avoid damage, but ships could not get in or out – part of a reason why the rebels had managed to remain holed up there for so long.

There was something off about the mission, something that didn’t feel right to Hux. Ben Organa Solo had been known to the First Order before he’d first appeared on Abregado-rae, but he’d never played a significant role in much of their strategy – why was he now running so many missions for them?

So many _visible_ missions.

Hux’s blood went cold. “Radio Syra Ren,” he ordered to one of the bridge officers. “This is a trap.”

“Syra Ren’s not answering our comms, sir,” a lieutenant responded a moment later. “The damage to the planet also limits radio transmission, so it’s possible it didn’t get through.”

Hux swore under his breath, stalking over to the viewports to stare down at the planet below. It was a swirl of brown and grey, the damage to its atmosphere visible even from space, and somewhere on that blighted world was Ben Organa Solo. Hux was the closest in proximity to him that he’d ever been before.

“Send a message via text-only transmission,” Hux ordered. “Perhaps they’re receiving on that frequency. I’ll dictate when ready.”

The lieutenant nodded. “Whenever you are, sir.”

“’Syra Ren, there’s the possibility that this is a Resistance trap. Keep an eye out for others, Organa Solo may not be working alone. Be on alert for tricks as well, and scan him for subcutaneous tracking devices upon retrieval. General Hux.’”

The lieutenant dutifully typed his words into the keyboard at his station and then reported, “message sent, sir. It’s uncertain if the away team received it." 

Hux sighed. “It will have to do for now.” He began to pace, clearly making the bridge crew nervous, but at that point, there was nothing to do other than wait.

* * *

When Ben awoke that morning, something in the Force told him, _today is the day_. Anoat was a perfect place to snatch him, and he’d made sure his mission was leaked before he’d even arrived to ensure that the First Order would be able to catch up.

On the surface of Anoat, he camped out with his speeder bike in a cave to avoid a chemical storm and waited for the First Order to strike. He could sense another Knight of Ren, or some other Force-user, this one stronger than the last. The Force-presence of this person was deep and cloying, and it was clear that they were hunting something. It was probable that the ‘something’ was him.

He had to make this easy so that he wasn’t too damaged, but not _too_ easy so that the First Order grew suspicious. He was walking a tricky line. He poked the bit of presence that was Rey in the back of his mind, and she responded with a sleepy emotion – they were still connected, although the time difference between their regions on Anoat and D’Qar meant that she was currently trying to sleep.

When the Knight of Ren finally appeared, she looked like something out of his childhood imaginings. She was clearly female and somewhat diminutive in stature, but muscular and cloaked in thick black wool, heavy boots, and a mask that concealed her face. She appeared at the mouth of the cave flanked by a company of stormtroopers, blocking out much of the sickly light from the planet outside.

Ben looked her up and down and then rose to his feet, clutching his lightsaber. “You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” he told her, igniting the violet blade. “Last time, there was only one of you.”

She cocked her head at him. “You mean, when you killed Arlo Ren. Thank you, by the way. She was weak and only damaged our cause. Even without knowing who you really are, you are acting as our leader.”

Ben blinked. This was not in the script. “What do you mean, ‘who I really am’?” he asked. Were these the answers he sought, laid out in front of him so easily before the mission even began?

“You will find out, in time,” said the knight in her tinny, synthetic voice. “I am Syra Ren. You are to come with me.” He could feel through the Force the compulsion added to her words. He was so, so tempted to give in, to say, ‘I will come with you’ and go from there. But he was strong enough to break this compulsion, and if he gave in too easily, she would sense it.

He shook his head and broke through it, pointing his lightsaber at her. “My mind is stronger than that,” he said, moving forward slowly.

“You’d go on the offensive?” Syra Ren laughed. “Here? Surrounded by me and my troopers?”

“The bounty on my head is very specific,” Ben pointed out. “I imagine that you do not want me dead.”

“While that is true,” she agreed, “accidents have been known to happen, especially when playing with lightsabers.” With this final word, she ignited her own saber, blood red like the other knight’s.

“Sir,” said one of the troopers, “we have an incoming text transmission from General Hux in orbit.”

“Ignore it,” Syra Ren snapped. “I have no interest in anything he has to say to me.”

It had not hit Ben truly until that moment that he was so close to Hux; it made something in his chest clench painfully, and the idea of finally meeting him made him feel as though his skin didn’t fit right.

In that moment, while Ben was thrown off by the mention of Hux, Syra Ren struck. He parried her blow, but it hit him harder than expected, and he went flying back into the wall of the cave, his skull connecting with hard stone. As he lay dazed, he realized belatedly that she’d used the Force to increase the strength behind her strike, as though it had come from a much larger opponent.

He could almost feel her grinning. “Didn’t expect that?”

“From a tiny woman such as yourself?” Ben asked, purposefully condescending. “I’m impressed.” She moved forward before he’d picked himself up off the ground and struck again, and he parried once more, this time using his own sense of the Force to block much of the impact. He was able to push her off and rise back to his feet, swaying unsteadily due to the blow to his head.

_Well,_ he thought, _if she’s concussed me, this certainly is going to be easier than we’d_ both _thought._

They continued to trade blows, feeling out each other’s styles, but Ben was clearly not operating at full capacity. He felt odd and occasionally his vision didn’t seem right, and he was beginning to conclude that he had indeed hit his head a little too hard.

He stumbled over and stared at the ground, wondering if he was going to be sick. The cave swum around him. He hadn’t really expected getting captured to go like this; he should have had more control. 

“Set your weapons to stun,” he heard Syra Ren order, and he struggled back to his feet, glaring at the stormtroopers. They fired, the unique sound of stun blasts echoing through the chamber, and Ben couldn’t deflect them all with his saber; he felt himself falling, again, and then all was black.

* * *

When Syra Ren returned to the Finalizer with Ben Organa Solo floating behind her, unconscious, Hux had to physically keep himself on the bridge in order to prevent himself from yelling at her. It was possible that the stormtroopers had only stunned him, but something told Hux that he was injured worse than that, something Hux couldn’t explain.

“Where is Syra Ren bringing Organa Solo?” Hux demanded to one of his officers. The woman ran a search on her computer and looked back up at him.

“Cell block 2, cell 3552.”

Hux shook his head, frowning. “Get medical down there immediately to scan him over.” The officers all glanced at him, then looked at each other, confused. “He’s an important prisoner whose health and wellbeing is desired by Lord Snoke himself,” Hux snapped. “We must make sure that Syra Ren did not damage him in her…enthusiasm.”

“Yes, sir,” answered the same officer, typing back at her console once more. “Medical is dispatched, and a droid will be there to look Organa Solo over once Syra Ren is done with him.”

“Good. I’m going down there myself to ensure that no further enthusiasm affects the health of our prisoner. Captain, the bridge is yours.”

As Hux stalked the corridors of the Finalizer, the slight sensation of buzzing beneath his skin seemed to grow stronger the closer he got to the detention center. _Organa Solo was aboard his ship_. Hux wanted to break into wild laughter, and he wondered if he was losing his mind.

The officers and guards stationed at the entrance level all nodded at him in greeting as he scanned his thumbprint and was allowed access to the detention area. He stalked the corridor once inside as well, pulling his greatcoat more tightly across his shoulders and adjusting his hat. Organa Solo was unconscious; he wouldn’t even _see_ Hux –

He rounded the corner and saw Syra Ren and her squad of troopers clustered outside one of the cells, as the cell itself wasn’t large enough for so many people.

“I see you’ve acquired the prisoner,” Hux said, moving forward into the cell.

The moment his eyes landed on Organa Solo’s unconscious face, it hit him all at once. A strange sense of Organa Solo in front of him, like Hux’s mind knew exactly where he was. An odd compulsion to be touching him, to stroke his hair and curl up against him, like his whole body was magnetized and wanted nothing more than to pull itself in to Organa Solo’s orbit.

“What in hell…” Hux snapped, resisting the strange urges that had come over him. 

Syra Ren yanked off her helmet, her very young and human face staring at him in astonishment. “Are you _Force-bonded_ with him?!” she asked, irate.  
  
“What in kriffing hell is a Force-bond?” Hux demanded. It was becoming physically painful for him to not be touching Organa Solo, like his body was on fire. He refused to give in and swayed on his feet, clutching the frame of the cell entrance to keep his dignity.

“You are!” Syra Ren exclaimed. “I can’t believe this!”

A vague awareness appeared in Hux’s mind, and he realized a moment later that it was Organa Solo sparking back to consciousness. Pain filled his mind, not his own but Organa Solo’s, and although Hux could withstand pain in himself, he couldn’t bear it reflected back on him. He finally gave in and moved to the bench that was doubling as a bed for Organa Solo, kneeling next to it and pressing his hands into Organa Solo’s hair.

The world shrunk to only the two of them. The pain abruptly ceased as though it had never been present, and Organa Solo made a satisfied little noise and moved into his touch. His hair was as soft as it had looked on the holo. Hux was vaguely aware of a commotion going on around them; Syra Ren yelling, the arrival of a medical droid, milling stormtroopers, but nothing could intrude on the connection between Organa Solo’s mind and his own.

Organa Solo himself was still mostly unconscious. A medical droid insinuated itself between Hux and Organa Solo. “Remain touching,” the droid said. “It will be dangerous for you to stop, and it could send him into shock.” Hux nodded numbly, a little in shock himself, and reached out to clasp Organa Solo’s palm in his own as the droid performed some scans.

After a few moments, the droid turned back to Hux. “The prisoner has a concussion. Nothing we can’t treat, although he should probably not have been stunned so soon afterwards. He should awaken in a few hours.” It shuffled away, leaving Hux and Organa Solo crowded on the prison bunk that was far too small for two tall men.

Hux began to come back to himself as the shock of the sudden bond faded, supremely embarrassed and furious. How could he, who controlled every aspect of his life, be thrust into such a horrible, uncontrollable, and unexpected situation? He didn’t know exactly what Force-bonding was, but it certainly seemed so far to be a nightmare scenario to bond with _anyone_ , much less the most infuriating human in the galaxy. But even though Hux wanted to let go of Organa Solo and flee, for some reason, he couldn’t – his hand physically wouldn’t detach from Organa Solo’s own.

“Relocate the prisoner to the medical bay,” Hux finally ordered Syra Ren, who was still lurking in the doorway.

“You don’t have any authority—“

“I am not sitting in this tiny, cold cell all day just because a kriffing idiot went and got himself bonded or whatever to me. Relocate him to medical bay, a place far easier for me to communicate with the crew and monitor our condition.” Hux gave her his frostiest glare and without the mask, Syra Ren poorly hid her facial expressions; he could see the moment when she decided to give in, and she turned on her heel and left without a further word.

* * *

Everything hurt.

Ben woke abruptly, feeling like his entire body was on fire. He took in his surroundings – white walls, medical droids, some sort of medical bay. Was he on a First Order ship? And why was he in so much _pain_? His skull began to throb, like someone was trying to shoot their way out with a blaster, and he closed his eyes to the light and put his hands to his temples, pressing down hard to try to relieve the terrible pain.

“Kriffing hell, I just went to the refresher,” a familiar voice cursed. The bed dipped as though someone had sat next to him and a cool hand covered his own. The pain ceased as though it had never been present, except for a dull throbbing in the back of his skull, possibly due to his head injury.

Ben opened his eyes again, far more slowly.

General Hux was _holding his hand_.

“What--?” he croaked. “What are you doing?” He tried to pull his hand away but Hux wouldn’t let it go, lacing their fingers together.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Hux said harshly. “We’re bonded or something; we should be able to be separate at some point, but for now, every time we don’t touch it results in terrible pain.” He glared at Ben as though this was his fault. “I can’t believe you went and _bonded_ me to you.”

It was disorienting to see him in person. He was so different than he’d looked on the holo, his hair shinier, his face more angular, his eyes greener. Ben studied his features and realized he could also sense Hux’s moods, far clearer than from anyone else he knew – annoyance, frustration, and anger were the primary emotions he was feeling at the moment.

“Oh,” said Ben, his mental faculties continuing to return as he woke up. “We’ve Force-bonded."

After over a month of being jealous of Poe and Finn, of despairing that there was anyone for him in the universe, Ben wondered if he should have felt more stunned by this revelation. In hindsight, it explained so much: the dreams; the way that Ben and Hux were so weird about each other, even being on opposite sides of a war; the strange pull he’d felt in the Force from the Unknown Regions that had almost been magnetic. It felt as if he’d been on such a path for a long time, even though he’d only just discovered the destination.

“Take it back,” Hux hissed angrily. “Whatever you did, undo it. I want no part in this nonsense.” Other than their joined hands, he had no other part of his body touching Ben’s own, and both his facial expression and body language were clearly communicating how little he wanted anything to do with the entire situation.

Ben’s heart sunk. “I didn’t do anything,” he told Hux. “You can’t just create a Force-bond out of nowhere. They’re rare.” Hux looked skeptical. “And precious,” Ben added earnestly.

Hux very visibly rolled his eyes. Ben couldn’t believe he was acting like this. “What is _wrong_ with you?” he demanded.

“What is wrong with me?! What is wrong with _you_?! Why did you bind me to you?”

“I just told you, I didn’t do it!” Ben shouted. “Maybe if you didn’t want to Force-bond with me, you shouldn’t have sent me so many kriffing messages!” In his fury, some of the cabinets and instruments in the medbay began to vibrate through the Force.

Hux didn’t seem taken aback at all by the vibrating items around him. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have been sending your enemy messages in the first place if you did not wish to receive a response,” he snapped.

“Of course I wanted a response, I always wanted a response!” Ben yelled. “You were in my head long before this bond formed!”

They stared at each other, red-faced and breathing hard, both of their eyes flashing angrily.

“I have _responsibilities_ ,” Hux said finally, not breaking eye contact. “I can’t be chained to you in the brig, I have a ship to run, a—construction project to complete.”

On a hunch, Ben asked, “do you mean Starkiller Base?” and Hux stiffened, staring at him. Shock filtered through their connection.

“How do you know that name?” Hux hissed. “Who told you that? Does the Resistance know?”

The mention of the Resistance reminded Ben of the reason why he’d allowed himself to be captured in the first place – with the bond with Hux and the concussion both crowding his skull, was his mental link with Rey still present? He reached back where it sat dormant and was relieved to find that the silver thread of thought that connected the two was still active.

“I dreamt it,” Ben finally answered him. Hux was glaring at him suspiciously, and Ben found himself musing that it was still odd to see him live in person. He wondered if daydreaming was a side effect of the concussion, because his thoughts kept becoming derailed.

“You _dreamt_ the name Starkiller Base?” Hux’s entire tone radiated how exasperated he was with the entire situation. “How does that even happen? What did I ever do to anyone to end up saddled with this?”

Ben remembered suddenly the dream that had led to all of this, the feeling of billions of people being killed all at once, planets incinerated. He knew deep in his heart that the man in front of him had been, would be, the one responsible. “It’s not what you did,” he said softly. “It’s what you _will_ do.”

“What are you saying?” Hux asked. “What are you implying?”

“Somewhere, in some possible future, you succeeded. You fired your superweapon, you destroyed planets, and you were responsible for the deaths of billions of people.” Hux watched him expressionlessly, as though the idea of such a thing didn’t phase him. “What if this is the Force’s way of stopping you? What if I was sent here, bonded with you, to prevent you from carrying this out?”

“Then I’d say the Force is even more pointless than I originally thought,” Hux sneered, drawing his eyebrows together angrily. “Because I intend to fire Starkiller Base with or without you in tow, and no Force-bond is going to keep me from this destiny. I imagined it, I built it, and I ensured that it would work. I am the ultimate architect of a powerful machine that will bring order to the galaxy, and I am hardly going to let _you_ stand in my way.”

“I’ll be forced to stop you,” Ben said softly. “You know I’ll be forced to stop you.”

“You aren’t really in a position to do anything right now, Organa Solo,” Hux told him bitterly. “Which is why we are both stuck in medical, even though I need to get back to the bridge of my ship so that I can continue to do my job.” Even through all the arguments, they were still clutching each other’s hands tightly.

Ben looked at Hux coyly through his eyelashes. “I could come to the bridge with you.”

“I honestly would rather watch the Finalizer be destroyed by rebels than allow you anywhere near the bridge,” Hux told him, his mouth turned down distastefully.

In the end, they came to a compromise – they stayed in medical so that Ben could continue to have his head monitored by droids, but Hux’s people came in and out the whole day, reporting to him in hushed tones while Ben was forced to wear noise-blocking earplugs. After about an hour of watching sour-faced First Order officers come and go, all of them throwing odd glances at him and his joined hands with Hux, Ben finally grew tired of the parade of people and laid back down on his cot. Hux remained sitting in the center, and he started when Ben let go of his hand, but a moment later Ben curled himself against the small of Hux’s back and slowly began to doze off.

When he awoke again, the officers were gone and Hux was staring at his face.

“Wha-?” he asked sleepily. His body was starting to very vocally let him know that he needed to use the refresher, something he was not looking forward to with this needing-to-be-touching bonding thing going on. “Why are you looking at me?”

Hux looked away, his cheeks pink. It would have been charming on someone who was less of a colossal asshole. “Shut up,” was all he said in reply.

Ben pulled himself back to a sitting position, keeping one hand touching Hux on his arm. Touching seemed to work even through clothing. “I need to use the ‘fresher,” he said. “Did you find a way to do that without this being horrible or do we just tolerate the pain for a few minutes?”

“I just tolerated the pain for a few minutes,” said Hux, “But if you don’t feel like you can handle that…”

Ben pulled his hand away and glared. “I can handle it,” he said, even as the burning sensation began to spread through his body again at the loss of contact. He managed to make his way to the refresher, which was helpfully located in the back of the medical bay, and took care of his business even as he gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain. Returning to the cot, he didn’t even think about it, just sank himself eagerly right on top of Hux and drank in the relief of being back in physical contact.

After coming back to himself, he realized that he’d seated himself on Hux’s lap and that the two had been clutching each other desperately, Ben’s cheek brushing against Hux’s own. Hux hadn’t moved, so Ben allowed himself a few moments to enjoy the feeling of being held by another person, the brush of Hux’s hair against his cheek, the subtle smell of clean laundry and caf that wafted off of his uniform. Hux stroked his hair absent-mindedly, and Ben sensed the exact second when Hux also came back to himself and realized what they were doing; he froze mid-stroke and held himself perfectly still, not pushing Ben off but no longer embracing him either.

Ben sighed and gingerly lifted himself away from Hux, grabbing hold of his hand once more. “I’m not going to apologize,” he said snidely, looking away from Hux’s flushed face and angry eyes. “The bond made me want to do that.”

“I would be disappointed if you apologized,” Hux replied snidely. “A person with strong character always stands by their actions.” It sounded as though he was parroting someone else, perhaps a parent?

“Good,” said Ben firmly, seating himself on the cot as far away from Hux as he could manage while still clutching his hand.

The droids eventually had Ben stick his head in some machine that would alleviate the worst effects of his concussion. Hux had to follow, and he stood next to Ben the entire time, radiating displeasure and aggravation as he clutched at Ben’s hand. The procedure itself was quick, and re-emerging from the machine, he felt clear-headed once more. 

One of the medical droids spoke to Hux. “The prisoner is completely healed,” it said. “There is no further reason for him to remain in medical.” 

“Understood,” Hux replied. “Come on, then,” he said to Ben, yanking him forward towards the door.

“Where are we going?” Ben asked, surprised at how quickly he was being discharged. “Back to my cell?”

Hux gave a small snort. “Hardly,” he scoffed. “Wherever you go, I’m forced to follow. I’m bringing you back to my quarters for now. Syra Ren assures me that this horrible side effect of the bonding will wear off within a few days, so we will just have to get through it.” Another feeling transmitted itself through the bond – distrust of Syra Ren…and protectiveness over Ben?

For the first time, Ben began to hope that the bond wouldn’t be absolutely horrible after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come hang out with me on [tumblr](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com/)!


	6. Chapter 6

The next day did not start off much better.

Even with Organa Solo in noise-blocking earplugs, Hux’s officers were clearly distracted and kept glancing over at him as they reported to Hux, decidedly nervous to report sensitive information with a prisoner so close by.

“Sir,” a young lieutenant said cautiously. “We will arrive at,” he glanced at Organa Solo, “our destination mid-afternoon today. Syra Ren has ordered that we prepare a cell for Organa Solo’s interrogation.”

Hux frowned. Syra Ren had been mostly hands-off since he’d humiliated himself by bonding with Organa Solo down in the cell block, but he presumed she’d been throwing tantrums in her rooms or something. They knew so little about this – how could she interrogate Organa Solo when Hux could possibly be impacted by the effects? Did she care so little for the overall success of their Order?

“Belay that order,” Hux snapped. “Organa Solo will be installed in my quarters until this…inconvenience…is dealt with. Syra Ren can have the prisoner once we know exactly how her interrogation will affect the bond between us.”

_‘A smart choice_ ,’ a voice spoke in his head. ‘ _Any pain I feel will resonate through the bond to you.’_ Hux turned and glared at Organa Solo, who was pretending to meditate and ignoring everything around him.

‘ _What is the point of noise-blocking earplugs_ ,’ Hux thought back as frostily as possible, ‘ _if one can just use their wizard powers to eavesdrop on my ship anyway?_ ’

‘ _You never asked if they would prevent me from overhearing your conversations,_ ’ Organa Solo replied, something in his voice smug. ‘ _I catch surface thoughts from others very easily, and because of the bond, you’re an open book. You can’t hide things from me._ ’

Hux quickly locked down all thoughts of Starkiller Base and their plans, even though he knew Organa Solo already knew about both. The lieutenant in front of him was starting to fidget uncomfortably. Right, Hux realized, they were having a silent conversation. To an outsider, it would just look as though he’d stopped speaking to stare at Organa Solo’s ridiculous face.

He turned back to the lieutenant. “That will be all,” he said in dismissal, and the man left as quickly as possible. Hux was beginning to wonder if being bonded with Organa Solo was going to ruin all of his credibility with his troops.

Hux resolved that he would deal with that problem if it came up and went back to reading reports on his datapad. It was strange to think that he had no reason to check his messages any longer, not with the sender located so close. Organa Solo had the side of his ankle pressed against Hux’s own, their only point of contact, and he was still pretending to meditate as far away from Hux as possible.

Hux looked over at him, glancing away from his report for the fourth time. How could Organa Solo be such a distracting person even when doing nothing at all?

Laughter filled his head, and he quickly switched to glaring at its source. Organa Solo finally cracked his eyes open and glanced back at Hux, pulling out the earplugs and placing them next to the spartan couch that they sat on in Hux’s quarters.

“Was I distracting you?” Organa Solo asked. Even only knowing him two days, Hux was pretty sure he had the wildest mood swings of any person he’d ever met. Earlier that morning, Organa Solo had been grouchy and unhappy, his feelings reflecting through the bond to put Hux in his own bad mood. Hux couldn’t figure out what had triggered it, but as the day went on, it had seemed to wear off, and now Organa Solo seemed almost…mischievous. What a strange person he was.

Organa Solo was watching him now, his eyes alight with something that could almost be amusement. Hux steadfastly refused to give in to his playful mood.

“Is work the only thing you do?” Organa Solo asked at last.

Hux frowned and didn’t answer, continuing to read reports on his datapad like he hadn’t heard the irritating question.

“Is that why you were sending me messages? Do you not have a life outside of your job?” Organa Solo was grinning now, wide and amused, and Hux put his datapad down abruptly and grabbed him by the wrist, yanking him so close that Hux could feel Organa Solo’s warm breath on his face.

“Listen to me,” he growled. “Do not forget, you are my prisoner here. This…bond…does not mean you know me, it doesn’t mean that we have _any_ connection at all. You are nothing to me, so insignificant that I couldn’t care less if Syra Ren kills you once we’ve dealt with this bonding issue. You are on very thin ice right now, Organa Solo.”

Organa Solo was staring at him with wide, dark eyes, his cheeks red. He licked his ridiculous lips and his eyes refocused on Hux’s mouth, and Hux realized that the wideness of Organa Solo’s eyes and the heavy quality to his breath weren’t from fear at all.

Organa Solo seemed to realize that he was expected to respond to Hux’s threatening speech beyond becoming absurdly aroused, because he pushed Hux against the back of the couch and loomed in, using the single inch of height he had on Hux to take up as much space as possible. “And don’t _you_ forget that I’m more than you give me credit for,” he snapped. “I’m the grandson of Darth Vader, the son of Leia Organa, a prince of Alderaan, and as close to a Jedi as the galaxy has seen nowadays. I could destroy you with my mind before you could even blink.”

Now it was Hux’s turn to stare, a strange stirring in his stomach, liking the way Organa Solo’s eyes flashed when he was angry and the feeling of danger, of _power_ , that surrounded him.

“It would appear that we’re at an impasse,” Hux snapped, glaring up at him.

Organa Solo’s gaze strayed back to his mouth.

“Force,” he cursed, “you’re the absolute worst,” and then Organa Solo’s mouth was pressed against Hux’s, soft and supple, kissing him with all the fury of their argument as though he was trying to sear his words into Hux’s mouth. Hux kissed him back with as much ferocity, reeling him in by the front of his shirt until Organa Solo was sitting on his lap, pressing desperate kisses against Hux’s mouth. He was enthusiastic but inexperienced, and Hux grabbed him by that thick, beautiful hair and pulled him backwards until he calmed down a bit and Hux could direct their kissing to his own specifications.

Hux had had lovers in the past, although sparingly, but nothing in his life thus far had ever been like kissing Organa Solo. The bond caused the tension to ricochet between them, ratcheting it up further and further. Hux yanked Organa Solo’s shirt up to get his hands on his warm skin, digging his blunt nails into the softness of Organa Solo’s back, and to his surprise, Organa Solo stiffened in his arms and gave a small, desperate moan, grinding himself back down on Hux’s lap.

He broke the kiss a moment later and they stared at one another, both panting. “You know,” Organa Solo said, leaning down to suck a rough kiss into the skin above Hux’s collar. “You can call me Ben. You don’t have to refer to me as Organa Solo in your mental monologue all the time.” He bit hard on Hux’s neck and Hux felt himself curl into it, giving a small moan himself, his breathing harsh and the blood rushing in his ears.

“Ben,” he tried out, even as Ben yanked open his uniform shirt, untucking it from his pants and sliding his large hands against Hux’s skin. Hux wondered if it was possible to catch fire just from another person’s touch. “ _Ben_ ,” he murmured again as one of Ben’s nimble fingers brushed teasingly against one of his nipples. Ben leaned up and kissed him again soundly, and Hux sucked his lower lip into his mouth, biting it so hard that it drew blood. Ben wasn’t even fazed, pressing his tongue between Hux’s lips to deepen the kiss.

A sound was making itself heard over the blood rushing in Hux’s ears, and he realized after a few more moments of making out that it was someone at the door to his quarters. He came back to himself all at once, pulling away from Ben’s mouth to stare at him, gasping.

“You—I—,” he said, incoherent. The door rang again, and this time, Ben glanced over at it.

“It’s the Force user,” he said, running a hand through his disheveled hair. Hux looked down at his own unkempt uniform and surveyed Ben’s unbuttoned top and bleeding lip, his mouth shiny and inviting. Hux was tempted to ignore Syra Ren and just kiss him again, feeling the pull of the bond and the electric attraction that had struck him the moment he’d seen Ben’s face.

Organa Solo, he reminded himself. ‘Ben’ was too informal, would allow him too close.

The bell rang again. “What are you going to do?” Organa Solo asked, wiping his wet mouth across the back of one hand, streaking it slightly with blood. “She’s already aware of what she interrupted, and she’s not happy with you.”

Hux imagined that Ben’s comment was an understatement, and he swore under his breath. “I’m surprised she hasn’t already forced her way in.”

“She tried,” Organa Solo said simply.

Hux stared at him with wide eyes. “What do you mean, _she tried_?” he demanded.

Organa Solo shrugged guilelessly. “After you didn’t answer the first or second time, she tried to use the Force to open the door. I stopped her.”

“You stopped her,” Hux repeated dumbly. “You _stopped_ her.” He realized, all at once, why this whole situation had felt off. “You’re stronger than she is!” he accused, pushing Organa Solo away from him and pointing at him angrily while still maintaining a grip on his other hand. “Did you _want_ us to capture you?”

Even if Organa Solo had been a good actor, which he wasn’t, the bond couldn’t hide the rush of panic that came from Hux’s accusation.

Hux continued, incensed. “Is that why you’ve become more and more ridiculously visible, getting under our skin like this? You’ve been trying to get yourself caught? I assumed it was for a Resistance trap."

Ben’s eyes darted back and forth as though he was assessing his means of escape, which would be difficult considering they still needed to be touching at all times. “Yes, Organa Solo?” Hux prompted. “I want an answer.”

“I wanted to see you,” Organa Solo mumbled.

Hux raised his eyebrows, sure he’d misheard. “Excuse me?”

Organa Solo’s guilty look turned into a fierce glare, as though he’d abruptly decided not to be ashamed. “I wanted to see you, okay?! We’d been trading those messages for months, and I was intrigued. I didn’t expect that woman to concuss me and leave me helpless, I thought I’d have the entire situation under control, and I _definitely_ didn’t expect to Force-bond with you! My plans are a mess now, thanks to this, so stop pretending you’re the only person inconvenienced by this situation!”

Hux found this hidden temper of Organa Solo’s endearing. He pushed that thought down deep in his mind where even the bond wouldn’t transmit it.

While they glared at each other, the door rang again.

“If you’re so strong, tell her to go away,” Hux ordered. “I’ll meet with her later, once we’ve sorted this.”

Organa Solo closed his eyes, looking as though he was meditating for a moment before wincing. “She’s not happy,” he said.

“Well no, of course she’s not happy,” Hux replied snidely. “I’m not particularly happy either, so she can join the club. Tell her to go away and make an appointment on my calendar like a civilized person.”

Something in the response that Organa Solo received from that made him lick his lips and lock eyes with Hux once more. “She’s leaving, but she thinks you want her to go away so that you can fuck me,” he said slowly, his eyes never leaving Hux’s own.

Oh, but Hux was tempted.

“Maybe after we discuss why you _tried to get yourself captured_ ,” Hux replied after a long, tense silence. “Which was absurdly idiotic, by the way. You had to have known that we would torture you for information about the Resistance.”

“What do you want to know?” Organa Solo asked, spreading his arms wide. “I’m an open book.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “Where’s the Resistance base?” he asked.

“Dagobah system,” Organa Solo replied promptly. The bond vibrated with the lie.

“You’re lying,” Hux snapped. “What use are you to me if you won’t even help me destroy the Resistance?”

In truth, though, Organa Solo was not how he’d imagined him at all. Hux had thought he would be a hotheaded Resistance fighter, spewing propaganda at him about the First Order, filled with disgust at their plans and at Hux’s attitude towards the Resistance and the Republic. Instead, Organa Solo seemed almost…intrigued by the First Order. It was unexpected.

“I can be pretty useful,” Organa Solo told him helpfully, turning those ridiculous doe eyes on him.

“You’ve been ‘pretty useful’ in setting back my construction timetable multiple times,” Hux said out loud to remind both of them exactly which side they stood on, despite his temptation to pull Organa Solo back to him and find out just exactly how useful he could be. “Although you did get rid of Syra Ren, so I suppose I should thank you for that.”

“Oh?” Organa Solo asked archly. “And how do you want to show your gratitude?” The insolent little punk.

Hux was allowing himself to be distracted, and his attraction to Organa Solo was clouding his judgment, as was the bond singing between them. He forced himself to focus on the conversation they were having. “Stop,” he ordered. “I don’t believe that you got yourself captured just so that you could meet me. There has to be more to it.” He narrowed his eyes.

Organa Solo tried to radiate innocence, but again, was not that great of an actor. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said.

“That’s an awfully dangerous gamble just to meet me,” Hux pointed out. “Unless you’re an absolute idiot, your story is nonsensical.”

“You could tell if I was lying through the bond,” Organa Solo countered.

“Yes,” Hux said, “but can I tell if you’re telling a half-truth?”

Organa Solo was silent for a moment before speaking. “I had another reason for getting captured,” he finally admitted. “Remember when you wrote to me about the Knights of Ren?”

Hux blinked. “Yes,” he said. “I remember. I also distinctly remember warning you to stay _away_ from the Supreme Leader and the Knights of Ren when I did so.”

“I have to know,” Organa Solo said, clutching at Hux’s hand, suddenly radiating passion. “I have to find out how I’m linked to them, why I created them, how your Supreme Leader relates to my childhood. Why did Syra Ren say she was going to help me find out who I really am? There’s a part of me here, in your Order, and I have to find it.”

Hux couldn’t believe this ridiculous human being who had just appeared and thrown his entire life into disarray. It was preposterous. He couldn’t deal with it.

He picked up his datapad with his free hand and gave Organa Solo a stern look. “I have more work to do,” he said, not releasing his hold on Organa Solo’s palm. “But maybe after, we can revisit our previous activities.”

Organa Solo licked his lips again, clearly knowing exactly what that did to Hux. The cut on his lip was finally seeming to cease its bleeding.

“I look forward to it,” he practically purred. 

Hux _hated_ him.

* * *

Ben was bored.

He was also a combination of other things, like relieved that Hux had believed that he only had two motives for being captured rather than the three that actually existed, and horny because Hux still wouldn’t respond to his advances or fuck him, but primarily he was bored, and it was horrible.

Hux wouldn’t give him a datapad or let him turn on the holo while he was working. Hux wouldn’t let him sit in his lap or kiss him or rub himself against him. Hux had vetoed the idea of showering together in lieu of getting work done, even though Ben desperately wanted to wash his hair.

Ben was currently entertaining himself by seeing how riled up he could make Hux without being scolded, which was amusing but had the unfortunate side effect of riling _himself_ up as well, which was not the best when Hux was seemingly determined to work. At that moment, Ben was using the Force to brush slow, gentle touches across Hux’s skin, watching Hux shiver occasionally as Ben discovered where his most sensitive spots were.

His toying with Hux was interrupted when Syra Ren appeared outside the door to Hux’s quarters and signaled for entry once more. This time, Hux boredly said “enter” and continued reading on his datapad, his uniform completely redone and his hair gelled back. Ben had left himself purposefully disheveled (and Hux’s annoyance at this fact kept resonating down the bond), and Syra Ren gave him a disdainful once-over before moving to stand in front of Hux. For some reason, she was still not wearing her helmet, and her blonde hair was a mop of disheveled curls.

“General, I’m overriding your orders from earlier,” she said. “Bond or no bond, Kylo Ren is our prisoner and he needs to be interrogated and then brought in front of my master.” She carried herself as though she thought she was Empress, and Ben couldn’t help smirking insolently in her direction.

“Absolutely not,” Hux said harshly. “Once Organa Solo and I are able to be separated, you may do what you please, but until then, unless I have a direct order from the Supreme Leader, he stays with me. I am necessary for the continued smooth running of the First Order and I cannot be an effective leader while writhing in pain.”

Syra Ren regarded him for a moment, her serious expression at odds with her youthful face. She turned to Ben. “You and I will be talking, Kylo Ren,” she said, her voice dark. “You haven’t escaped me just because you bonded with a First Order general.”

“Why do you keep calling me Kylo Ren?” Ben demanded.

“Isn’t that your name?” she asked, peering at him. “That is who you truly are, is it not?” With that, she turned again and stalked out, and Ben let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Hux was watching him. “We’ll be arriving at our destination soon,” he said. “That’s why she’s nervous.” Confusion filtered across the bond, like he wasn’t sure why he was telling Ben this information. “I’d tell you to gather your things and be ready to disembark, but you are still my prisoner.”

“You _like_ that,” Ben accused. “Is that what does it for you, General? To have someone as your prisoner, who you can fuck whenever you like?”

Hux frowned and looked away. “I don’t like anything. I like it when you keep your mouth shut.” Feedback filtered across the bond – _your pretty mouth_ – and Ben felt warm all over once again, his arousal never really fading since their earlier encounter.

“You like my mouth,” Ben accused.

“I like your mouth _shut_ ,” Hux corrected. He had to know where this conversation was headed, but he made no effort to avoid the obvious innuendo.

“I could make you like my mouth open as well,” Ben told him, very obviously licking his lips.

The last thing he was expecting was for Hux to gently put down his datapad and then move forward at lightning speed and push him back into the armrest of the couch.

“Why,” he growled, “do you insist on taunting me like this?” He was so close again, his eyes flashing dangerously. Ben met his gaze and licked his lips again – and success, because Hux glanced downward and swallowed hard. “You know what you’re doing to me.”

“You know what you’re doing to me as well,” Ben murmured, canting his hips upward so that Hux could feel just how much he wanted him.

“Have you learned everything about sex from porn holos?” Hux asked, clearly trying to deflect attention from how much he liked it. “Sometimes I wonder. How inexperienced are you, Organa Solo?”

Ben rolled his eyes, flushed. It had been years since he’d had any sort of sexual encounter, it was true, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t spent his late teens and early 20s as a smuggler, hooking up with a wide variety of beings from all over the galaxy. He was probably more experienced than Hux, when it came down to it.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” was all that he replied.

He glanced towards Hux’s bed, which was still unmade (although Hux had made it clear that that was only because making it would have been too much trouble while trying to stay touching). They’d slept together there the night before, going to sleep holding hands and waking up curled around each other, as much of their bodies touching as physical possible. Ben had blamed it on the bond, and Hux had simply moved away from him when he’d awoken. Now the bed looked inviting, and Ben grinned at Hux and looked back towards it.

“No,” said Hux.

“Now you’re resisting just to be difficult,” Ben accused. “I can feel how much you want me. We’re bonded, remember?” He grinned as lasciviously as possible. “Maybe if we try to fuse our bodies together, the bond will let us finally take a piss separately without it feeling like we’re burning alive in acid.”

“You make the prospect of fucking you sound so appealing,” Hux said dryly, but he was definitely interested, and Ben could feel his arousal curling through the bond, circling with Ben’s own and threatening to set them both ablaze. Ben arched up into Hux once more, pressing his erection into Hux’s thigh and making a calculated whining noise.

Hux’s eyes flashed and he shoved Ben down and kissed him savagely, yanking at the hem of his tunic as he went, barely pulling his mouth away from Ben’s to divest Ben of his shirt. This was exactly what Ben had been looking for, and he murmured enthusiastically, yanking the zipper down on Hux’s uniform to expose his undershirt. Through awkward fumbling, they managed to get rid of both of Hux’s shirts, and Ben surveyed him without them, transmitting amusement through the bond at Hux’s much smaller shoulders and slighter frame.

“Shut up,” Hux growled, shoving Ben back down into the couch. “Not all of us can be built like you.” He ran his palms down the planes of Ben’s abdomen, feeling the musculature there, and Ben was for once proud that he’d kept up with his athleticism while part of the Resistance. Hux leaned down and bit Ben’s shoulder hard, and Ben gasped at the blend of pain and pleasure, feeling as though he was going to vibrate out of his skin.

They did eventually make it to the bed, yanking off their pants, barely able to stop kissing in order to move from one piece of furniture to the other, rutting desperately against one another. Ben could feel every ounce of Hux’s own pleasure through their bond, mixing with his own, and before he knew it, he was on his back in the center of the bed, clutching Hux above him, his eyes fluttering backwards with every thrust that hit just right inside him. Hux pressed open-mouthed kisses against his skin, breathing into his mouth, both of them gasping, and when Hux finally came, the force of his orgasm sent Ben spiraling as well.

They stared at each other afterwards, breathing hard, not really registering anything other than the strength of the bond, the _need_ they had for each other, and how good it felt to have skin on skin.

* * *

Hux awoke and was comfortable and warm, Organa Solo’s naked body curled around his. It took him a moment to realize what had disturbed him, but he realized after a sleepy moment that someone was ringing for entry of his quarters, and quite insistently.

Hux rolled Organa Solo away from him, which was harder than it looked considering the man weighed a ton. He then yanked on his uniform pants and searched for his shirt. He located it on the couch, frowning at how wrinkled it had become, but he quickly scrambled into it and didn’t even bother looking for his undershirt – he’d get properly dressed later. There was no saving his hair, however, which was a disheveled mess, probably because Organa Solo had discovered that Hux really enjoyed having it pulled.

It wasn’t until he’d opened the door and greeted a gaping Mitaka that Hux realized that he wasn’t feeling pain despite not being in physical contact with Organa Solo.

“Yes?” he demanded, trying to look as intimidating as possible considering it was probably pretty obvious what he’d been up to. Yet another annoyance that Organa Solo was responsible for, he thought angrily, adding a tally in that mental column.

“Sir, welcome back to Starkiller Base,” Mitaka greeted him, trying not to look too horrified and failing rather miserably. “Captain Phasma would like to speak to you when you have a moment, and Syra Ren wants to discuss the housing of the prisoner?” He tried to glance around Hux into his quarters, but Hux deftly blocked his view.

Hux rolled his eyes at the thought of Syra Ren; the woman was quickly joining Organa Solo in the annoyance column. “Very well. The prisoner and I will prepare for transfer to Starkiller; have my shuttle prepared for departure in thirty minutes.” Mitaka nodded, saluted, and left, and Hux closed the door behind him and sighed heavily.

“Thirty minutes isn’t much time,” Organa Solo mumbled from the bed. “But I’m sure we could make use of it.” His face was still mashed into Hux’s pillow, and Hux was pretty sure that the only use Organa Solo would find for the next thirty minutes would be sleeping and being uselessly lazy, but he didn’t say so aloud. Instead, he took the opportunity to gather both of their things, threw his own dirty uniform into the laundry, replaced it with a crisp, clean one, and went into the refresher to slick his hair back into its usual style.

Looking in the mirror, he realized with horror that Organa Solo had left marks, many of them, and one of the largest conspicuously above his collar. No wonder Mitaka had looked so taken aback. He usually had healing bacta cream for this sort of thing that would heal the bruised skin within a few minutes, but that were in his quarters on Starkiller, and he would have to wait until he was back on the ground before he could take care of it. He sighed and slicked back his hair. If it wasn’t bad enough that he would have to hold Organa Solo’s hand or arm in front of all of his subordinates, the damning hickey was going make everything ten times worse. No one was going to respect him ever again.

Organa Solo finally dragged himself out of Hux’s bed and lazily threw his clothes back on, artfully disheveling his hair so that he looked like some scoundrel that Hux had picked up on some backwater planet somewhere.

“We’re not touching,” Organa Solo observed, staring at Hux in alarm. “I don’t feel any pain, but we’re not touching.”

“Yes, apparently your theory worked,” Hux replied dryly. “However, I suggest that you don’t communicate that fact to Syra Ren unless you want to be taken away and tortured.” It was his duty to report when their bond began to settle and allow them separate again, but Hux steadfastly ignored that, telling himself it was because he didn’t know what effect Organa Solo being tortured would have on himself. He hardly cared about _Organa Solo’s_ welfare, just his own.

Organa Solo nodded and reached out to capture Hux’s hand, running his giant fingers gently over Hux’s own before lacing them together. The shiver that went up Hux’s spine at his gentle touch was involuntary and infuriating, made worse when Organa Solo leaned in and brushed the fingers of his other hand against the hickey on Hux’s neck. “I did quite a number on you,” he murmured, his face terribly close. 

Hux leaned in as though he was drawn by some magnetic force, pressing their mouths together, and Organa Solo kissed him back lazily, his mouth warm and inviting. They stayed like that for several moments, trading kisses, before Hux finally pulled away. “We have to go,” he said. 

“I know,” Organa Solo replied. “Starkiller Base awaits.”

The door to his quarters slid open and the corridor beyond was empty. Hux led Organa Solo out by their joint hands and headed towards the docking bay and his waiting shuttle. Starkiller Base did indeed await, and so did Organa Solo’s destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my [tumblr](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com)!


	7. Chapter 7

Starkiller Base felt dangerous.

Ben sent a signal along his connection with Rey when they landed, and he identified the moment they were on solid ground due to the fact that the place was cloaked in the dark side of the Force, much stronger than anywhere that Ben had ever been before. His dream of billions dying as planets vaporized beneath their feet had begun here, he knew deep in his bones. This place was built to create only death and destruction; it was undeniable.

It was equally undeniable that he was living in the head of the man who had designed the entire concept. Hux’s pride and joy was this weapon, and it sang from every inch of him from the moment they landed on solid ground. Ben couldn’t tell if Hux had just dehumanized his future victims to the point that he didn’t care or if he was enamored more with the possibilities of such power, but Hux was proud of his future weapon, his Order, and his position leading such a group. It was…startling.

It also didn’t fit with anything his parents and his family had ever taught him about the true nature of evil. Hux, and even Syra Ren…they were just people, like Ben himself. The only monster that lurked in the dark at Starkiller Base was the monstrosity that belonged to all sentients, the ability to kill without conscience.

Ben felt like his worldview was unraveling.

It didn’t help that his bond with Hux was intoxicating. He walked down the ramp of the shuttle beside Hux, trying not to watch him, feeling Hux’s hand in his like it belonged there. Hux was completely buttoned up again, in his uniform with his hair gelled and parted, and Ben wanted nothing more than to shove him into the nearest wall and dishevel him.

A flush began to travel up the side of Hux’s neck, and Ben grinned. ‘ _Did you catch that one?_ ’ he sent, and Hux glared.

‘ _You’re having an awful lot of fun for someone who’s about to find himself in a cell,_ ’ Hux thought snippily at him. It was about the fifth time that he’d made such a threat, and Ben had so far only seen the inside of a First Order cell when he’d been unconscious. ‘ _I can change that_ ,’ Hux added darkly, clearly catching Ben’s train of thought.

‘ _Kinky_ ,’ Ben thought, really just to see the back of Hux’s neck turn even more red.

Syra Ren appeared in front of them, wearing her mask once more. Somehow, she was intimidating despite her small stature.

“Now that you’re able to be separated, Kylo Ren and I have business to attend to,” she said to Hux in her modulated voice. “I will attempt to return him in one piece…if he cooperates.”

“What do you mean, now that we’re able to be separated?” Hux queried. “Do you think I’d be holding his hand in front of all of our troops if I didn’t absolutely have to?” A flicker of guilt went through the bond, however, and Ben realized all at once – Hux was protecting him. Hux knew that they could be separated and was lying for his sake.

Syra Ren gave a laugh, the sound coming out eerie through her helmet. “I saw you answer the door without him, general,” she said. “Perhaps you forget that there is surveillance outside of your quarters?”

Hux hadn’t forgotten; he’d just assumed that she wouldn’t be smart enough to check the recordings.

“We don’t know how this Force bond works,” Ben pointed out. “We could have been fine earlier and then if you separate us now, it could be like before.”

“You’re right,” Syra Ren acknowledged. “I know a fantastic way to test it.” She gestured to two stormtroopers who were waiting by the docking bay door. “Cuff him and bring him with me.”

The stormtroopers glanced at one another, then glanced at Hux, who sighed and let go of Ben’s hand. There was no immediate pain or shock at their lack of contact, which Ben found almost disappointing. The troopers cuffed him and led him off, and Ben maintained eye contact with Hux until he was shuffled out of view. The bond told him that Hux wanted to do something to stop this, but felt bound by his duty to let Syra Ren have him.

Wonderful.

The base was clearly not yet finished, and the stormtroopers and Syra Ren led him past multiple areas under construction. There wasn’t even a true detention center – Syra Ren finally deposited him in what was clearly meant to be a cell, but the hallway outside was open to sunlight from the planet, and the clank-clang of droids and humans doing construction work was audible even from within the cell’s walls.

Ben surveyed it, trying to keep his expression neutral. His bond with Hux didn’t feel weakened despite their distance from one other, and he could feel Hux taking offense at his thoughts about how easy it would be to escape such a shoddy detention area.

‘ _It’s not complete yet,_ ’ Hux sent in a hiss. ‘ _Part of that is because someone diverted my funds a month ago._ ’

‘ _I can’t imagine who would do a thing like that_ ,’ Ben replied, and caught an image of himself fighting with the other Knight of Ren on top of the speeder on Muunilinst, moving like an acrobat with his lightsaber blazing. ‘ _You watched me? On surveillance footage?_ ’ Hux clamped that thought down quickly, but it was too late. ‘ _General Hux…have I been your one weakness this entire time?_ ’

It was too much for Hux, who loudly resolved to ignore the bond and Ben himself for the next period of time, but Ben was still grinning.

His grin abruptly vanished when Syra Ren slapped him in the face. “Get ahold of yourself,” she snapped. Sometime during his conversation with Hux, she’d taken off her mask, and her small face was pale and angry.

“What was that for?”

“You’re communicating with the general. You’re creating discord among the very people you’re supposed to be serving. The Supreme Leader is not pleased.”

There it was again – the Supreme Leader. “Supreme Leader?” Ben asked. “What makes him supreme?”

“He is stronger in the Force than either you or I can imagine.” She smiled. “You’ll find out, in time.” Her eyes had a manic quality, like many of the fanatics for their causes that Ben had encountered over the years. This monster, too, was still human.

She watched him for a long moment, as though he might react and give her some guidance about how to proceed, but Ben had no intention of making this easy for her. He fidgeted under her gaze and noticed that his skin was starting to feel itchy and dry, but he couldn’t scratch it due to the cuffs.

“You can uncuff me,” he said finally. “I’m not going anywhere; I’m chained to this place by something far stronger than handcuffs.” He referred to Hux, but Syra Ren clearly interpreted it differently.

“Yes, you are finally beginning to see,” she murmured. “You have always belonged among us.” She leaned over and released the cuffs with a quick thumbprint, and Ben’s hands snapped free. He immediately scratched at the skin on his arms, trying to get at the itch that kept eluding him.

He was starting to get an inkling that cooperation was going to get him farther with her than animosity. “Have I?” he asked. “Belonged among you? There’s something here…I feel it.”

The ghost of a smile dusted her mouth for a moment before she went back to her expressionless glare. “The Supreme Leader has gifted us with a world that is strong with the power of the dark side,” she said. “Between the Force and the engineering brilliance led by your own General Hux, we are going to bring the galaxy to its knees. But I was never meant to be the second in command, here. You know who was meant to be in my place.”

Her words awoke something in him.

Ben felt like he was in a dream. He’d been here before. He’d walked these corridors, he’d overseen construction here, he’d _seen Hux_ before. Not in reality, but in visions, carried through the Force through years. An alternate reality? Or the future?

“It was me,” he whispered, as though he was in a trance. “I was supposed to be here.”

Syra Ren kneeled in front of him and bowed her head. “Kylo Ren, my lord,” she murmured. “You were always meant to be our leader.”

This was a role that Ben could play, even if he didn’t quite understand. “Explain,” he ordered. “How was I supposed to be here?” The itch under his skin wasn’t quite going away, and he thought it might be even getting worse, but he ignored it steadfastly.

“We were all chosen as children, the Knights of Ren, by the Supreme Leader. He spoke to us in our dreams, taught us to use the Force. He gave us a common dream of the First Order, a future where everything would be made right once more. We grew up in the ashes of war, children with our entire futures destroyed, and Supreme Leader Snoke gave us a purpose.” Her voice took on a dreamy quality, like she was reading from a storybook. “There was one who was to be the strongest of us, born from a lineage like none other, the heir to Darth Vader himself. He would be our leader, and under his guidance, we would truly remake the galaxy into the image of the First Order.”

Goosebumps prickled Ben’s skin.

“But the forces of the Jedi, the selfish forces of the light, they chased away our Supreme Leader before he could ensure that Kylo Ren was also one of the chosen. He was banished from Kylo Ren’s head when our leader was still a child and was unable to return. Thus, Kylo Ren grew up ignorant of his true destiny, of his purpose. He lived a life of aimlessness, running from everything and everyone, unable to find his place, until he finally returned to his mother at the hands of the Resistance.” She bowed further, practically parallel to the floor. “And now you have finally returned to us.”

Ben finally connected the dots. “This Supreme Leader,” he said, stunned. “He planted the idea of the Knights of Ren into my head when I was too young to remember.” He felt like he was about to be sick to his stomach. “He was in my head? As a baby? As a small child?” If this Supreme Leader had created Ben’s alter ego, his childhood imaginings, what else had he left Ben with? Was he the reason that Ben was never satisfied with anything, that he had so little in common with his family? Was he the reason that Ben had Force-bonded with someone like Hux?

He was beginning to panic and Hux felt it through the bond, starting to panic as well. ‘ _What is she doing to you?_ ’ he demanded.

Ben didn’t answer, scratching furiously at his arms and staring at Syra Ren, still supplicated on the ground at his feet.

“Despite the treacherous forces of light, you’ve found us,” Syra Ren continued. “Are you ready to join us, to take your rightful place as leader of the Knights of Ren?”

Playing along with this charade would probably buy Rey and the Resistance enough time to get there and destroy the place, Ben realized. He’d been Kylo Ren in his head for nearly twenty years; could he finally play him in reality?

They sat in silence for a moment, as though Ben was weighing his decision. “I’m ready,” he said softly at last. “Everything you’ve said makes sense to me. It explains so much about my life, about my childhood. I have always felt empty, as though something was out there for me, a greater destiny.” He paused again, swallowing hard. “I will take my place as the leader of your knights.”

The itching in his skin began to burn, just slightly, and with the familiar pain, suddenly he knew what was causing it. It was the bond reasserting itself.

Hux realized this around the same time as Ben himself had, and Ben tracked him through the Force as he left the bridge and started to make his way over to the detention facilities. Syra Ren’s comm beeped, but she did not move to answer it.

“If I am to be your true leader, then you have to trust Hux and listen to his orders as well,” Ben said, thinking quickly. “The Force has decided to bond us together for some higher purpose, probably relating to this destiny you speak of.”

Syra Ren glanced up uncertainly. “Once you’ve been confirmed by our Supreme Leader, I will do as you say,” she declared. “Until then, Hux still takes his orders from Snoke and I, and we will not tolerate disobedience.”

The pain was beginning to worsen. Ben checked Hux’s progress through the base and found that he was still only about halfway to the detention area, picking up his pace as he realized it was getting worse. The _need_ to be near Hux resonated through Ben, who tried to shove the feeling down and wait for Hux’s arrival.

“Hux is on his way now,” Ben told Syra Ren, partly to build trust between the two of them. “The bond is getting painful again. I fear we will not be able to be separated for much longer.”

She stood back up, and he felt her read him through the Force and register his honesty. She sighed in exasperation. “This bond of yours is interfering with all of our plans,” she snapped. “The general is not meant to be involved at this level.”

“Of course not,” Ben placated. “He’s not Force-sensitive, not like you or I. He could never understand.” Hux was finally in the lift several floors above him, and it felt as though a string was tying them both together. “But until the bond becomes more normalized, he will unfortunately have to be involved. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Kylo Ren never _apologizes_ ,” Syra Ren declared savagely. “I don’t want to hear it from you.” Ben began to wonder how much of the mysterious figure of Kylo Ren was in her head and how much of it was actually Ben himself.

Hux finally arrived, striding down the hallway and shoving past Syra Ren with no ceremony to launch himself at Ben, curling up against him and pressing as much of his body as possible against Ben’s own. He was also clearly infuriated, making this behavior even more charming to Ben.

“Are you quite finished?” Hux asked Syra Ren frostily. “Our bond is acting up again, and I’d prefer to get Organa Solo installed someplace more comfortable so that I don’t have to spend the whole afternoon down here in the detention block.” Even in his huge coat, he was cold; Ben could feel it through the bond. He wrapped an arm around Hux’s waist and his mind resonated with how much Hux liked the feel of it.

“Kylo Ren,” Syra Ren corrected.

“Excuse me?” Hux asked.

“His name is Kylo Ren,” she told him.

‘ _Just go along with it_ ,’ Ben whispered in Hux’s mind. He wasn’t sure if he’d explain further because he honestly didn’t know which side Hux was on at that point, other than that of his star-murdering death machine.

“All right,” Hux acknowledged, irritated. “’Kylo Ren’.”

“I have to set up a meeting with the Supreme Leader anyway,” Syra Ren continued. “Kylo Ren will be required to be there; I’ll comm you.” She knelt again at Ben’s feet, and Hux’s eyebrows practically went through his hairline. “We are so pleased to finally have you joining us, my lord.” Then, she stood once more and was gone out the door.

“More of your mystical Force nonsense?” Hux asked, still looking somewhat surprised. “This is an abrupt change in attitude for her.”

“She knows now that I’m interested in learning more about where I’ve come from,” Ben told him. It wasn’t _technically_ a lie, but Hux still watched him with narrowed eyes.

“You’re playing along with her to get more information,” he observed. “Perhaps you’re not as much of an idiot as I first thought.” With that, he stood once more, pulling Ben up next to him and keeping two of his fingers encircled around Ben’s wrist as he led him out of the detention area into the main corridors of Starkiller Base.

Hux brought Ben to his quarters once more, these far more spacious and comfortable than the ones on the Star Destroyer. “Very nice,” said Ben after surveying the space, which was neat and clean and had very few personal possessions on display; it could have belonged to anybody. “It’s very you.”

Hux gave him an unamused look and yanked him in, putting his hands on Ben’s waist and leaning in for a kiss the moment the door was closed behind them.

Ben kissed him back and pushed him towards the large, comfortable-looking bed, relieved to be together once more and looking for a distraction after how unsettled Syra Ren had left him. 

* * *

Hux was sprawled in bed, Organa Solo taking a post-coital nap at his side, when his comm rang from the bedside table. He reached over Organa Solo’s bulk to answer. It was Syra Ren.

“The Supreme Leader would like to meet with Kylo Ren in twenty minutes,” was all she said before hanging back up.

Hux rolled his eyes. Life had been much simpler before she’d come to his base. Life had been even better before Organa Solo had entered his life.

He shook Organa Solo awake, trying not to look at the sore red of his pretty mouth or the lovely way his hair lay splayed across his pillow. Hux was not a romantic; he did not notice things like that about people.

Organa Solo blinked his eyes open and stared at Hux. When he realized who’d woken him, he smiled dopily and leaned up for a kiss, which Hux quickly returned before pushing away from him.

“The Supreme Leader wishes to meet with you in twenty minutes. Get dressed and I’ll bring you to the audience chamber.” Hux was going to have to go with him; they couldn’t risk interrupting an audience with the Supreme Leader because their bond needed them to be together once more. With luck, their most recent sexual encounter would at least allow it so that they wouldn’t need to hold hands in front of Snoke. Hux had had quite enough humiliation for one day, including all the looks he’d received before he’d had an opportunity to heal the hickey on his neck.

Organa Solo dressed quickly, pulling on his same set of clothing that he’d been wearing – Hux was going to have to procure him something else to wear soon. Hux dressed in his uniform as well, pulling his greatcoat over his shoulders and quickly re-styling his hair.

“Are you ready?” he asked Organa Solo, who only smiled and reeled him in for another kiss. They stood in front of the door for several seconds, trading kisses and reveling in each other’s touch. Organa Solo had such a warm, inviting mouth that Hux never seemed to be able to resist the urge to kiss him.

“We’re going to be late,” Hux muttered, dragging his mouth away and glaring at his chrono. “The Supreme Leader will not tolerate tardiness.”

“Of course not,” Organa Solo replied in a placating voice. He took Hux’s hand in his and laced their fingers together. “Let’s go.”

Hux readjusted his clothes before leading Organa Solo out into the hallway and through the base to the audience chamber. Officers and stormtroopers stopped to stare at them, including Phasma, but Hux steadfastly ignored them. Organa Solo took it all in with wide eyes.

“You have more troops here than I expected,” he said.

“What were you expecting?” Hux asked. “You shouldn’t have even known this place existed.”

Organa Solo only quirked his mouth into a smile and said nothing. He was really quite infuriating.

Upon reaching the main audience chamber, Hux released Organa Solo’s hand and entered first, leading him down the narrow catwalk towards the center of the room where Syra Ren stood in front of a huge hologram of Snoke. Hux felt fear and determination spike together through their bond as Organa Solo caught sight of Snoke and stopped walking forward.

Hux turned to urge him along and was quieted by the look in Organa Solo’s wide eyes. “I know him,” Organa Solo whispered.

“Come on,” Hux murmured. “Supreme Leader Snoke and Syra Ren are waiting.” Organa Solo nodded and continued, coming to a stop right next to Syra Ren and looking defiantly up at the hologram of Snoke. Hux stood slightly behind him, knowing he wasn’t particularly welcome at this gathering.

Snoke regarded Organa Solo for a long moment. “Kylo Ren,” he spoke finally. “At last you have come to us.”

“My lord,” Organa Solo spoke, bowing his head. He was so tall and gangly that the gesture looked particularly awkward. Hux briefly flashed to the image of those long limbs spread across his bed an hour before, but he pushed it away before it was communicated through the bond. Organa Solo would need all of his wits about him to navigate this meeting with Snoke.

“Syra Ren tells me that you are ready to take your place as the head of my Knights,” Snoke continued. “You finally understand that destiny has been calling you to my side all of these years. Years you wasted, being part of the _Resistance_.”

Organa Solo was standing straight once more, and only Hux was aware of the pure loathing he was broadcasting. He was also feeling slightly sick to his stomach. When Organa Solo realized that Hux had registered those facts, he glanced behind him and caught Hux’s eyes briefly. ‘ _He was in my mind as child,_ ’ he spat into Hux’s mind. ‘ _My skin is crawling just being in the same place as his image. He poisoned my mind!_ ’

Hux was beginning to wish once again that Ben Organa Solo had never come into his life. Before Organa Solo had existed, everything had been simple, black and white, First Order and Republic, right and wrong. Hux was on the side of order, determined to create a better galaxy, and the Republic, with its loathsome populist democracy, was standing in his way. Snoke had been a powerful being who shared his vision; what he did in his spare time hadn’t really concerned Hux at all.

Now he felt torn between two sides, bound by a force he didn’t understand or believe in, connected, mind and soul, to a man who had no loyalty to Hux’s Order. Furthermore, he couldn’t tell if it was his own damnable feelings or the bond itself that was making him sympathetic towards Organa Solo, disgusted with Snoke’s behavior even though it wouldn’t have phased him a few days earlier with some anonymous child. That child would have been a means to an end. Why was Ben Organa Solo any different?

Snoke and Syra Ren were going on and on about the dark and the light sides of the Force while Hux was caught in his internal monologue, but nothing seemed particularly important. Was this what induction into the Knights of Ren consisted of – pontificating and philosophy? Hux wouldn’t have been surprised.

His attention was reengaged when Snoke said, “now, you must pass your final test.”

Organa Solo frowned. “Test?” he asked.

‘ _They’re going to make him kill me_ ,’ Hux thought with alarm, abruptly sure that he was in mortal danger. ‘ _I’m a weakness._ ’

‘ _Don’t be even more paranoid and pessimistic than you already are,_ ’ Organa Solo scolded. ‘ _I can’t kill you without me dying too. Such a test would be counterproductive._ ’

Despite that, Hux watched apprehensively as Syra Ren bowed to Organa Solo and produced a silver cylinder from beneath her robes. For the first time, doubt crowded Organa Solo’s own mind; it was clearly his lightsaber. She handed it to him and he held it gingerly, like it was about to explode at any moment.

“The head of the Knights of Ren can only become so if he has slain his predecessor,” Snoke announced. Organa Solo’s uncertainty was so thick by then that Hux felt like he was drowning in it.

Syra Ren took her own lightsaber out of her robes and laid it on the floor, then kneeled in front of it. She took off her helmet and laid it next to the saber, her head held high and proud. “Syra Ren is all that stands in the way of your destiny,” Snoke told Organa Solo.

Hux felt Organa Solo’s mouth go dry as he turned his lightsaber hilt over in his palm.

“Slay me,” Syra Ren begged breathlessly. “In death, I will become even more powerful, and through my death, you will touch the dark side and become the man you were always meant to be.”

Hux knew, even before Organa Solo did, that there was no way that he’d be able to kill her. Things were going to get very bad, very fast. Would the fact that he was Force-bonded to Organa Solo would make Snoke spare his life, or if Snoke would take the loss of one of his best generals as a worthy sacrifice in order to see Organa Solo dead?

‘ _If we’re both going to die soon,_ ’ Organa Solo thought at him, ‘ _you should at least start calling me Ben._ ’ Hux could feel the speed at which his mind was racing, matching Hux’s own panic.

Ben stepped towards Syra Ren and ignited the blade of his saber, the violet of it reflecting in the dim chamber and illuminating his figure.

“You will, of course, have to construct a proper saber,” Snoke commented. “Yours is not an appropriate weapon for a Knight of Ren.”

“Of course,” Ben echoed, glancing down at Syra Ren. She held herself perfectly still, her eyes closed, breathing in and out in uneven, breathy pants. Ben raised his blade, and for a split second, Hux wondered if he’d misjudged him.

Ben spun, no longer facing Syra Ren, and sent his lightsaber flying through the air with a flick of his wrist, slicing through the holoprojector instead. Snoke’s image disappeared as though it had never been, leaving the audience chamber mostly shadowed except for the brilliant light from Ben’s blade.

Syra Ren’s eyes snapped open and she stared for a moment, mouth agape, before scrambling to her feet with her lightsaber in hand. “Coward!” she yelled. “Traitor!”

“I can’t do it,” Ben said to her, shutting off his own lightsaber just as she ignited hers. “You remind me of my cousin.”

“Then I will slay _you_ ,” she yelled. “Kylo Ren was lost to us the moment my master was banished from his head! You lied to me!”

“Your Order has created a weapon to destroy entire star systems,” Ben snapped. “I don’t think you really get to have the upper hand here.”

Hux was immediately offended. “Starkiller Base is a _masterpiece_ —“ he began.

He was never able to finish his sentence. The entire base suddenly shook around them, throwing Syra Ren back to her knees and causing Ben to stumble into Hux, who grasped him by the shoulders. Syra Ren’s lightsaber snapped off as it went flying from her hand, straight into Ben’s outstretched palm.

“What the hell was that?!” Hux demanded. He activated the button on his comm to signal Mitaka. “Bridge, report!”

“Sir,” Mitaka’s tinny voice came over the comm. “A wing of one-man fighters is currently attacking the base; I believe they’re X-wing class.” The base shook again and Hux cursed under his breath. “Our sensors indicate that the New Republic fleet isn’t far behind them,” Mitaka added.

How could the Resistance and the Republic have found the location of their base, here in the uncharted regions of the Unknown Territories?

Hux turned and glared at the only person who could have led them there.

“You!” he shouted, pointing at Organa Solo, who didn’t deserve to be referred to by his first name when he was such a traitor. “You led them to us!”

Organa Solo looked startled as well, his eyes wide. “It’s too soon!” he exclaimed, still clearly shaken by his encounter with Snoke and the request to kill Syra Ren. “I don’t—I can’t---“

“I’m on my way to the bridge,” Hux announced into his comm. “Hold them off until I arrive.” He cursed again. “Our weapons systems aren’t even truly operational yet. We’re sitting ducks out here." 

“This is all his fault!” Syra Ren yelled, pointing at Organa Solo. “You should have let me torture him when I had the chance!” She was still seated on the ground, and Hux began to wonder if she’d sustained some sort of injury from her fall. 

His comm beeped again. It was Phasma. “Sir, the Finalizer is still in orbit and requesting permission to engage the enemy.”

“Permission granted,” Hux replied immediately. “Come. We’re going to the bridge.” He grabbed Organa Solo by the arm, cursed their bond, and dragged him out of the audience chamber. Organa Solo was still clutching both lightsabers, but Hux didn’t even bother to disarm him; they both knew they couldn’t fight one another, and they both knew if one was injured or died, the other would be as well.

Syra Ren didn’t bother to follow – it appeared that Hux had been right about her injury. Her loud, indignant yelling followed them as they exited the audience chamber. 

Organa Solo stopped in the middle of the hallway, closing his eyes as though he could hear something, maybe through the Force? He turned to Hux, his face drawn and pale, his eyes even darker than usual.

“I’m sorry,” he said, pulling Hux in and pressing his mouth against Hux’s temple before leaning down to kiss him roughly. Hux bit at his lower lip viciously before kissing back, still unable to resist and cursing himself for doing so. There were so many things he needed to be doing, and kissing Organa Solo’s ridiculous mouth was definitely not one of them.

One of Organa Solo’s big hands went to the back of his head, and for a moment, Hux thought that he was going to grip his hair. Instead, the hand cupped his skull. 

A moment later, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, you can also come find me on [tumblr](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com/).


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know this was a long wait again - I attended a conference this week and had a crazy weekend (and another one coming up). I wasn't lying when I said this was all written, but I do like to do one final read-through before I post, and I haven't even had time to do that! The last chapter will probably be posted sometime next week as I have a friend coming to visit this weekend. I really appreciate all of your patience with me, and thank you all for being such great, loyal readers!

Hux awoke in a huge chamber, in an area that he recognized as the thermal oscillator, his head still spinning. Ben was nearby, placing what looked like charges around the chamber.

“Are you placing explosives on my base?” Hux snapped, trying to sit up. The room spun around him from whatever Ben had done to knock him out, and he laid his head back down, hoping his dizziness and nausea were being transmitted through their bond.

Ben glanced over at him. “Sorry,” he said. “The Resistance wasn’t having much luck getting through without my help, so I had to knock you out.”

“Even with charges in the oscillator, you can’t destroy this place,” Hux sneered, as though he had any sort of upper hand at all. “Our shield technology is state of the art; nothing can get through other than small hits here or there.” The Resistance might have had the firepower to destroy the base complex, but the whole planet would still be there, and the First Order could rebuild.

He felt at his collar, but his comlink was gone. So was his blaster. ‘Curse Organa Solo,’ he thought, realizing that in his delirious state he’d been thinking of him as Ben once more.

“Oh, the shield is already down,” said Organa Solo, making Hux stare at him in horror.

“What?!” he demanded.

“I disabled it while you were out. The information on how to do so was in your mind.” He moved further across the chamber to set another charge, and Hux’s skin began to itch with the lack of proximity. The damn bond, he thought angrily.

Organa Solo returned a moment later and leaned down, pressing his forehead against Hux’s and breathing in deeply. Hux didn’t want to find comfort in the touch, but their bond didn’t care that Ben was a lying Resistance saboteur, and he found himself breathing in so deeply that it almost came out as a sob.

“You can’t destroy it,” he said, his voice cracking. “It’s my life’s work.”

“You can come up with a new life’s work,” Ben murmured, not taking his eyes off of Hux’s, pressing a kiss against his mouth. “One that doesn’t result in the deaths of billions of people.” Hux caught the fleeting impression of a…dream? Vision? People frozen in fear, overtaken by red light, the planets beneath them crumbling to dust.

A short young woman with dark brown hair, dressed in what were distinctly Jedi robes, came over to join them. “I’ve set the last few charges,” she announced in the same Coruscanti accent that Hux himself had. “Oh, is he awake?”

Ben pulled his face away from Hux’s and took his hand again, stroking along the lines of his palm. “Evacuate your people,” he murmured at Hux, handing him the comlink. “I know you care about them, and this place is going to blow once we open it to the outside.”

Hux glared fiercely at him, refusing to take the comlink on principle.

Ben shook it in his face. “Take the comlink!” he said urgently. “I know how much you care about them! Do you want them all to die? Phasma, Mitaka?” He was pulling names out of Hux’s mind now. Hux was furious.

“You didn’t care much for them when you were preparing to sabotage my base!” he yelled.

“Yeah, I really didn’t,” Ben agreed. “But I’ve felt how you care about them. I’m not going to add them to your conscience, no matter how little I care about the future of the First Order.”

Hux furiously gritted his teeth. He considered using the comlink to call his people down to the oscillator; if they were fast enough, they could probably stop Ben and the Jedi girl.

But he knew they would come in with guns blazing, shooting first and asking questions later. If Ben died, or was injured, Hux would suffer as well.

He stood on a precipice, knowing in that moment that he was choosing between Ben’s life – his _own_ life – and the survival of his beloved Starkiller Base. If he did as Ben asked, if he sent the evacuation order, he would be dooming his base to its destruction.

Never taking his eyes from Ben’s, he snatched the comlink and activated it to a base-wide channel.

“All personnel, this is General Hux. Begin evacuations of Starkiller Base immediately. There is a critical danger that the Resistance could destroy the entire planet. Evacuate to the shuttles as necessary and make for the Finalizer.” He could hear his own voice echoing in the empty corridors around them and hated the sound of it.

“Good,” said Ben.

“I hope you know what you’ve made me do,” Hux said bitterly, slumping back down to the floor and turning his face to the side to hide how conflicted he was.

Ben gave Hux a few moments to compose himself, going over to quietly confer with the Jedi girl, but Hux would find no consolation in being left alone. His entire life’s work would soon be gone, and it was as much by his own hand as it was by Ben Organa Solo’s. He’d betrayed everything he’d ever cared about.

As if he could sense Hux’s escalating self-loathing, Ben returned to his side, kneeling beside him and stroking his hair with one giant hand. “Can you stand?” he inquired.

Hux tried to scramble to his feet, but the room swam around him again and he lay back, gasping. To his embarrassment and horror, Ben leaned down and grasped him, picking him up bridal style like he barely weighed anything. “It’s okay,” he murmured in his ear. “I’ve got you.” Hux clutched at his shoulders, angry and embarrassed but also starting to feel numb and detached from reality.

“I’ll never forgive you for this,” he declared, ignoring the way his arm was threaded around Ben’s neck and how much he wanted to press his face into his strong shoulder.

Ben carried him outside into the frigid forest beyond the base, the Jedi girl following in his footsteps carrying a remote for the detonators. They were headed for something – a ship? Hux’s eyes focused better and he could see it, a silver ship parked in the snow. It must have landed after Ben had disengaged the shields. Just as they were near the ramp, Ben nodded at the girl, who pressed a button on the remote. Even with their distance from the reactor, Hux could hear the explosion.

He closed his eyes, but the pain he was feeling was his own heartsickness.

“Stay here for a minute and keep an eye on everything,” Ben ordered the girl, carrying Hux right up the ramp onto the small ship. He deposited him in a bunk in one of the cabins in the back and pressed a kiss against his forehead; Hux wanted to be angry at the tenderness, but he was starting to feel too numb to care.

“You’ll find another life’s work,” Ben promised, his voice soft. “I feel it. Even though I know your weapon is wrong and I was sent here to destroy it, every explosion is breaking my heart too.” He sighed heavily. “But I can’t let billions die because you love your superweapon, Hux. The galaxy contains more than you and I.”

It certainly didn’t feel like it, not anymore.

There was a yell from outside, and then they heard the distinctive hum of lightsabers. Ben looked at the door, closing his eyes and clearly using the Force to figure out what was happening. “It’s Syra Ren,” he said after a moment. “She’s fighting Rey.” He pulled his own lightsaber out of his robes. “I have to go help.”

“I thought you had her lightsaber,” Hux murmured sleepily.

“She must have had a spare,” Ben replied. He leaned over and kissed Hux, once, gently; far more gently than Hux had ever wanted to be kissed in his life. Then, he pushed himself up and left the small cabin, having to duck to get through the doorway.

More shouting came from outside, followed by the sound of lightsabers. Ben reentered the ship, yelling “leave her!” to someone else, probably the girl who he had called ‘Rey’. Hux drifted in and out of consciousness, wishing that Ben had at least drugged him to prevent him from thinking about his monumental failure and subsequent loss. They’d scanned Ben for trackers, they’d been careful, there was no way that he should have been able to have led the Resistance to them…

The ship lurched and Hux clung to the side of his bunk to keep from falling off; they were taking off from the planet. He was seized with a fierce determination – he had to see his beautiful creation, one last time, before the Resistance destroyed it. He gathered a blanket around himself and stumbled off of the bunk, managing to drag himself into the cockpit just as the ship was leaving the planet’s atmosphere.

“Years of work,” he whispered, staring down at the grey and white planet below. From so far up, it hardly looked like anything was wrong. “Completely destroyed.”

Ben pulled him over and wrapped his long, ridiculous arms around Hux’s waist as they watched from the viewports. The girl, Rey, was silent, just watching them.

“Nobody’d ever designed such a thing before,” Hux continued. “Nobody before me.”

Ben stroked his hair from his forehead. “You’re brilliant,” he murmured.

The girl made a face at Ben that Hux managed to catch. Ben made a face back, and Hux wondered if they were related. Brother and sister, maybe?

‘ _She’s my cousin_ ,’ Ben spoke in his mind.

A huge explosion bloomed on the planet’s surface, lighting up half of the sky. Hux clutched at Ben’s hand.

“We should jump to hyperspace,” Rey said. “When the planet blows, it’ll release all of the energy that it was pulling from the star. It may not have been operational, but it was working enough that it’ll form a second star, right here in the system.”

“Did you hear that, Hux?” Ben whispered. “You made something even better than a superweapon.”

In that moment, Hux fell in love. He also utterly hated himself for it.

“You’re uselessly sentimental,” he snapped, pushing himself up from where he was leaning against Ben. _Organa Solo_ , he reminded himself. He could not get attached. He’d only fallen in love once in his life, and they were watching the thing he loved be destroyed. He was not about to create yet another weakness for himself. “I’m going to go lie down. Jump to lightspeed if you wish.” He lurched back to the cabin, ignoring Ben’s worried thoughts following him, and collapsed back onto the bunk.

Sleep came instantly, but with it came horrible, haunting dreams. Starkiller Base being destroyed beneath his feet. Ben Organa Solo, separated by him by a splitting chasm of earth, being swallowed whole by the collapsing planet. Captain Phasma and Mitaka, dead. Syra Ren, laughing in his head.

And then warmth enveloped him, making the bad dreams dissipate.

Hux woke slowly, disoriented and not sure where he was. A ship’s cabin? Then, he remembered the destruction of Starkiller Base, and grief and failure flooded his mind once more.

The strong arms wrapped around him pulled him in tighter and the body underneath him shifted so that Ben could press his nose into Hux’s neck, murmuring indistinct words.

“Stop it,” Hux said, struggling to escape. “I’m not a child. I don’t need comforting.”

“If you think I can’t feel everything you’ve just lost, you’re stupider than I thought,” Ben replied sleepily, still blinking awake. “I can’t really understand why you were so attached to that thing, but I understand that you’re in shock about it.”

Hux finally succeeded in extricating himself from Ben’s octopus-like hold and unsteadily placed his feet on the floor. At some point while Hux had been sleeping, Ben had removed his boots, and the deck of the ship was cold against his thin socks.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked. Probably to some Republic jail cell, he thought bitterly.

“The ship’s returning to the Resistance Base,” Ben replied.

“Excellent,” said Hux. “Then I can lead the First Order there and show you how it feels.” He smiled, small and savage. “How will you feel when they destroy everything _you_ love?”

Ben seemed to realize that this was empty posturing, a way for Hux to lash out, because he just shook his head. “We can take you somewhere else,” he offered.

“Literally anywhere would be better than the Resistance,” Hux remarked. “So by all means.” It was likely he couldn’t return to the First Order. After his colossal failure at Starkiller, he would be lucky if Snoke didn’t kill him even if he was able to return. If Syra Ren had survived, surely she would also inform Snoke of his complicity with Ben, even though Hux had mostly stood aside, sick over his torn loyalties.

Ben leaned over and tugged on his slight shoulders, trying to bring him to lie down next to him again. “Come on,” he said. “No matter how pissed you are, you need to sleep.” Something was bothering Ben as well; if Hux hadn’t been so wrapped up in his own situation, he’d have tried to figure out what it was, but he didn’t have the mental space to do so. Ben would have to deal for himself.

Hux sighed and gave in, curling in the space that he’d just vacated and allow Ben to pull him tightly against him. The comfort was nice, even though Hux supremely hated how much he needed it, as was Ben’s big hand stretched across his stomach. The easy affection that Ben Organa Solo bestowed on him was disconcerting, and very quickly becoming addicting. He was beginning to wonder if anyone had ever properly loved the man before since he was so starved for it.

‘ _I’ve been alone a long time_ ,’ Ben murmured into his mind, clearly catching his train of thought. Hux wondered if the Force made Ben more telepathic through their bond than Hux himself; he only picked up flickers of emotions without the ability Ben seemed to have to read his thoughts word for word. ‘ _Stop thinking and go back to sleep_.’

This time, with Ben monitoring his mind, Hux didn’t dream.

* * *

The ship came out of hyperspace near D’Qar, and Ben left Hux sleeping in his bunk to join Rey in the cockpit.

“I think I’m going to take him to my uncle,” he said. “Unless you want to stop on D’Qar, we can jump right to the Yavin system.”

Rey raised her eyebrows at him. “What do you think Dad can do for him?” she asked.

“I don’t think Luke can do anything for _him_ ,” Ben replied. “But _I_ need some answers about a few things, and I have a feeling that my uncle is the one who will have them.” There was still so much he didn’t know about how Snoke had…possessed him?...as a child. The thought of it made his skin crawl, and he wondered how much of his personality was the real Ben Organa Solo and how much of it was Snoke’s influence, even after all the intervening years.

Rey, who had only caught bits and pieces of what had happened to him while in the care of the First Order, nodded and started punching coordinates in the navcomputer. “You should radio your mother while we’re in orbit,” she said. “She’ll be worried when you don’t return with the others.”

“She doesn’t know about Hux, does she?” Ben asked. “I didn’t even think of it, but Hux is worried that if we bring him to the Resistance, he’ll be thrown in a cell, and I’m starting to think it’s a legitimate fear.”

“You’re Force-bonded,” Rey said. “That’d be like throwing you in a cell as well.”

“We can be separate from each other now,” Ben replied defensively.

“Yeah, for what, an hour at most? I spoke at length with Poe and Finn about their bond; I know how this works. You won’t be able to be separate for more than a few hours for a long time. You’re stuck with that asshole.”

“He’s not an asshole,” Ben said on reflex.

Rey just gave him a look.

Ben sighed. “Okay, he’s an asshole,” he acknowledged. “But the Force knows what it’s doing.”

“Are you sure about that?” Rey asked. “I mean, in hindsight, it’s not that shocking that you and he would Force-bond, considering all the messaging and the obsessing that went on before you even met, but why _him_? He almost killed billions of people, Ben.”

“I know that!” Ben exclaimed. “I’m aware that he’s not a good person, but maybe I’m not a good person either. Maybe that’s what Snoke did to me, all those years ago. I’ve tried and tried to fit in with all of you, who are effortlessly selfless and empathetic and care about others, but it’s just not something I can do.” He leaned back in his seat and put his hand over his face, willing himself not to cry.

“’What Snoke did to you’?” Rey repeated slowly, seizing on the most important part of his outburst. She leaned forward and peered at him. “What do you mean, ‘what Snoke did to you’? Who’s Snoke?”

Ben hadn’t wanted to have this conversation, but it looked like it was happening anyway. He sighed and gave her a quick run-down of everything he’d learned about himself, Snoke, and the Knights of Ren. Rey listened, her small face very serious.

“Ben…that’s horrible,” she whispered when he was done. “You do have to ask my father about it, he definitely might know something.” She leaned over and gave him a hug. “But here’s a secret. None of us care if you’re a little bit of a selfish, bad person. We’re your family, and we love you.”

They stood like that for a long time, just watching D’Qar below them, before finally Ben pulled away. “I should call my mother,” he said. “Are we ready to go to Yavin?”

Rey nodded. “The coordinates are programmed in. Let me know when you’re done.” She slipped out of the co-pilot’s chair and headed back into the interior of the ship. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

Ben swallowed and looked at the holographic comm unit. Before he could chicken out, he programmed in his mother’s code and called her. For a moment, the Resistance logo appeared on the comm before it was replaced by his mother’s face. “Hello?” she said. “Ben!”

“Starkiller Base has been destroyed,” Ben told her, even though he hadn’t himself seen it explode. He’d felt the explosion through the Force as they’d hurtled through hyperspace, doing his best to cushion Hux from that blow. “We’re in orbit over D’Qar right now, but I’m actually just stopping to check in before I go to visit Uncle Luke.”

Leia regarded him for a moment. “You’re going to see Luke?” she asked at last. “Voluntarily?”

It was a legitimate question, Ben supposed. He’d avoided returning to Yavin for nearly fifteen years, ever since he’d run away from Luke’s silly Jedi school and become a smuggler. “Yes, I’m going to Yavin IV voluntarily,” he confirmed. “I have some questions for Luke about the Force.”

“Be safe,” she replied, always a mother first and a general second. “Well done on the Starkiller mission. I know I don’t always appreciate your skills, but you have become quite a fine fighter and Jedi. I’m proud of you.”

Ben looked away, uncomfortable with her praise. “Thanks,” he said gruffly. “I’ll comm when I’m coming back to D’Qar.” _If_ he was coming back to D’Qar, he thought to himself. It was unlikely that Hux would ever be comfortable in the heart of the Resistance, and where Hux went, Ben would follow. He’d decided that as they were leaving Snoke’s audience chamber, and knowing that Hux would never leave Starkiller voluntarily, that determination had forced him to knock him unconscious. 

He hung up with his mother and checked the navcomputer; Yavin was programmed just as Rey had reported. He shouted back into the ship, “I’m sending us to lightspeed!” and Rey yelled a confirmation.  
  
A moment later, the stars became starlines.

The trip to Yavin didn’t take more than a day, but Ben spent most of the time curled in bed with Hux, who alternately slept and mourned the loss of his entire life. Ben used their hyperspace relay to log on to the holonet and found that Hux had been reported killed in the explosion, which meant that nobody in the First Order would know to look for him. Well, at least until Ben Organa Solo reappeared on everyone’s radar – one side of a Force bond couldn’t survive unless the other had as well, and Snoke had been very aware of the nature of the bond between the two.

“You aren’t seriously considering faking your death just to protect me from the First Order,” Hux mumbled derisively into the pillow beside him. “I think our bond’s getting stronger. That’s the first full thought I’ve read off of you.”

Hux was open to Ben like a telepathic book; he didn’t really mind the idea that Hux could read his thoughts as well. What did he have to hide?

“Come out and meet my cousin,” Ben prompted. “We’ll be at Yavin IV soon and you’ll have to emerge and deal with other people then anyway. Rey will be good practice.”

Hux narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re taking me to the _Jedi academy_?” he asked incredulously. “Of all places?”

Ben had the same general opinion of the Jedi academy, but he still took offense. “What do you mean, of all places?”

“I work for the First Order,” Hux told him. “The Jedi protect the Republic. Do you not see the conflict of interest here?”

“I hate to say it,” said Ben, stroking his hand through Hux’s shiny hair, “but I’m pretty sure you don’t work for the First Order anymore.”

Hux lifted his face up off the pillow so that Ben could see his scowl. “And whose fault is that?!” he demanded. “Because I certainly did not _ask_ for any of this.”

“I didn’t make you Force bond with me!” Ben snapped. “It wasn’t by my choice either! I wanted a Force bond, yes, but with someone who was less—less—“

“Oh by all means,” Hux growled, “tell me exactly how much I don’t fit your ideal mate. Exactly what I want to hear right now.”

“You just told me you didn’t want me!” Ben shouted.

“Because you’ve ruined my life!” Hux shouted back, getting right up into Ben’s face. They glared at each other furiously, nose to nose, and then Hux kissed Ben, savagely.

Ben kissed him back and shoved him back down on the bed, climbing onto his lap and feeling that he was already hard – but then again, so was Ben, and he ground himself into Hux as they bit at each other’s mouths.

Rey had heard the shouting and Ben could sense her approaching, so he quickly shooed her away using the Force. She must have caught a glimpse of what was going on in their little cabin, because she quickly scurried away from the door and went as far across the ship as possible.

Hux growled and pushed upwards, stronger than he looked, tumbling Ben over so that he was on his back with Hux above him. “You’re infuriating,” Hux panted against his mouth. “I can’t believe how much I want you anyway.”

Ben laughed and surged back up to kiss him deeply. When he’d originally put Hux to bed, he’d taken off his uniform jacket and left him in just pants, his undershirt, and socks. He untucked Hux’s undershirt and used the Force to brush phantom touches all along Hux’s torso, lavishing attention on the sensitive tips of his nipples. Hux trembled all over, like he was going to shake apart in Ben’s arms, and moaned slightly.

“I’m going to make you feel so good,” Ben purred at him. “I’ll take good care of you.” Hux glared at him, clearly not enjoying the coddling tone of his promises, but his breath was still coming in fast pants and his erection strained at his pants.

Ben couldn’t take it any longer and he unzipped Hux’s pants, freeing him and taking him in hand. Hux went still above him, his mouth open in a breathless gasp. “Ben,” he murmured.

“Shh,” Ben whispered, beginning to stroke him. “Let me take care of you.” Hux continued to shudder in his arms, resting his forehead against Ben’s shoulder and breathing harshly, then biting Ben’s shoulder as he got a particularly good grip. Ben continued to stroke him steadily, making note of which movements of his hand made Hux come undone above him.

After a few minutes of this, Hux shook in his arms and spilled all over his hand, gasping for breath with his head still pressed against Ben’s bare collar. For a moment, they laid there together, Hux’s loud breaths echoed by Ben’s own.

Then, Hux slid his hand down to stroke at the bulge in Ben’s own pants. “It looks like you could use some assistance as well,” he said smugly, pulling himself up to rock against Ben’s length. Ben’s whole body felt electric, and he gasped and arched into the touch. His whole self was like a live wire. He hadn’t had so much sex in years, not since he’d just exited his teens, and he was alive with it. “Please,” he heard himself begging. “Please, Hux.”

Hux’s mouth curved into a smile, and he leaned down to press it against Ben’s lips, sucking greedily on Ben’s bottom lip until Ben slipped his tongue into Hux’s mouth. They made out lazily for awhile, Hux’s hand slowly making its way into Ben’s trousers to lazily stroke him. It was so good, Ben could have stayed there forever, but eventually, he reached the point where he couldn’t take it any longer, moaning as he chased Hux’s mouth.

“Shhh,” Hux murmured, jerking him off with one hand while he gripped his hair and tugged with the other. “Come for me, Organa Solo.”

To his surprise, that was what it took to send Ben over the edge, and his orgasm crested over him. He came back to himself panting, with Hux draped above him, wiping his hand on the bedding beneath them. They laid there together, hearts beating in tandem, emotions singing between the bond, until they finally both dozed off.

Ben awoke to a soft mental poke from Rey, a few hours later. Hux was sprawled beside him, sleeping calmly for the first time since they’d left Starkiller Base.

‘ _We’re in orbit around Yavin,_ ’ Rey sent him. ‘ _I assume you want to radio my father before we land?_ ’

Ben pulled himself out of bed and yanked on his pants. He was really going to have to find a change of clothes on Yavin IV; his own were getting a little ripe. He scrambled on the ground for his shirt, locating only Hux’s uniform jacket, and realized after a moment that Hux was sleeping on his shirt from when they’d discarded it a few hours before.

He shrugged and tried to put on the uniform jacket, but Hux was too slim for it to truly fit well. He finally draped it over himself for some semblance of modesty and slipped out the door, careful not to wake Hux. 

Rey smirked at him the moment he appeared in the cockpit.

“Shut up,” he said.

“I didn’t say anything,” she replied as smugly as possible. “You look well, uh, rested. You might want to turn off the picture transmission to my father, you’ve got a little something, ah, here,” and Rey pointed at the side of her neck. Ah, so Hux had gotten revenge for the beast of a hickey that Ben had originally gifted him with.

“Thanks,” Ben said dryly. He slid into the copilot’s chair and snapped on the comm, dialing in Luke’s contact number.

Luke answered, appearing on the holo. “Hello?” he asked. As Rey suggested, Ben turned off his own visual projection.

“Uncle, this is Ben,” he said. “We’re in orbit around Yavin. Rey and I and…another. Can we land?”

Luke seemed startled. “Ben? As in my nephew?” Had it really been that long since he’d kept in touch with his uncle?

“Yes, your nephew,” Ben replied. 

“Dad, I’m here as well,” Rey spoke up from next to him. She was curled up in the pilot’s chair with her feet up on the seat, resting her chin on her bony knees. “Ben has some questions for you about the Force.”  
  
Luke was clearly trying to reign in his excitement. “Oh?” he asked. “Really?”

Ben rolled his eyes, glad Luke couldn’t see him. The sooner his uncle accepted that he was never going to be a Jedi, the better for everyone.

“Yes, really,” he replied. “And I’ll need rooms for at least a few nights. They need to be large enough for two.”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “I can do that,” he said. “Land outside the temple and we’ll get you settled.” He disconnected the comm.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Ben told Rey.

“Returning to your general?” she asked, smirking. “Go, go ahead. Make sure he’s dressed and presentable.”

Ben rolled his eyes at her. “We’ll do our best,” he said. He left her in the cockpit and returned to the small cabin he’d been sharing with Hux, who was awake and staring at the ceiling.

“We’re in orbit?” Hux asked. “I could hear when the hyperdrive disengaged.”

Ben couldn’t help but lean down and kiss him. Hux kissed him back, clutching at the sides of his open jacket. He pulled away and frowned. “Are you wearing my uniform?”

“It doesn’t fit,” Ben replied with a smirk. “But you were sleeping on my shirt.”

Hux reached beneath himself and yanked out Ben’s shirt, shaking it out and glaring at the wrinkles. “Your clothes are disgusting,” he commented.

“Well, if I hadn’t been _captured_ and forced to wear the same thing for days on end, I wouldn’t have had this problem,” Ben commented, pulling his shirt on and returning the uniform jacket to Hux, who eyed it suspiciously.

“I don’t think I should wear this,” he said finally. Ben glanced at him, confused. “I’m no longer with the First Order. I probably should accept that fact.” He leaned down and picked up his black undershirt and put it on. “This will do for now.”

Ben wasn’t really sure how to be comforting for someone who was mourning the loss of a truly awful organization. It was a strange position to be in, but he sat on the bed and let Hux rest his head on his shoulder and they both pretended that Hux’s eyes weren’t damp, and Ben thought he maybe did okay.

There was a slight bump as the ship landed, and Ben and Hux finished getting dressed and emerged from the cabin, blinking in the bright sunlight as they left the ship. Luke was the only one there to greet them, enveloping Ben in a bear hug before pulling back and regarding him and Hux.

“You formed a Force-bond,” he breathed. “I thought those were just a myth from the old Jedi holocrons, even when your mother said she knew of a couple who’d formed one a few months ago.”

“Definitely not a myth,” Hux said sardonically from Ben’s side. “Although I wish I could say otherwise.”

‘ _Just throw me under the bus with my most awkward relative,_ ’ Ben sent to him. ‘ _Thanks_.’

‘ _Anytime_ ,’ Hux replied. He took a step forward and held his hand out to be shaken in the old Imperial style. “You can call me Hux.”

Luke shook his hand with narrow eyes. “Hux. You’re that First Order general who broadcasts speeches on the holonet.”

Wonderful, Luke had watched Hux’s speeches.

“That’s me,” Hux replied, meeting his gaze squarely. “I’m also Force-bonded to your nephew and on the run from said First Order, so. Things change.”

Luke nodded. “I guess they do.” He looked at Ben. “You know I’m the last person to deny someone a chance at redemption.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Hux doesn’t need to be _redeemed_.” If Hux actually turned into a good person, Ben would probably have to leave him and never return, bonded or not. Good people made his skin crawl.

“Of course not,” Luke placated him. “Come, I’ll show you to your rooms, where you can shower,” and he wrinkled his nose, looking Ben over.  
  
“Okay, look, I was a prisoner for a long time and Rey didn’t bring me a change of clothes,” Ben said defensively. “Trust me, I would love something new to wear the moment you can get it for me.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Luke said with a grin. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Ben and Hux were put up in spacious quarters usually reserved for Luke’s small staff. They were cold and damp like the rest of the quarters in the ancient Massassi temple, once a rebel base and now the headquarters for Luke’s Jedi school, but they were comfortably furnished. A spacious refresher was connected, with slotted windows that let in the low jungle light.

The moment the door had closed behind Luke, Ben grinned at Hux. “I think I’m not the only one who needs a shower,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Hux sighed theatrically. “Yes, fine, whatever,” he said, allowing himself to be dragged into the refresher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come join me on [tumblr!](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com/)


	9. Chapter 9

Ben and Hux took a few days to relax and recover after their ordeal, sleeping through long, hot jungle mornings draped all over one another, fucking in the expansive bathtub in their refresher as well as in the plush, comfortable bed, barely leaving each other’s side. The bond was comfortable and warm, contented at their high level of intimacy, and Ben felt less like he was going to scratch his way out of his skin than he had in days.

Mentally, Hux wasn’t doing well, but he was better than he had been in those first hours when they’d left Starkiller Base behind to burn. He spent a lot of time staring into space, his mind numb. Ben felt so helpless, like there was no way to get through to him other than arguing or sex, but he sat there and was present and hoped it was enough. 

On their third day on Yavin IV, Ben finally approached Luke, ready to discuss his experiences with the First Order.  
  
“Rey said you had questions about the Force?” Luke asked, letting Ben into the room that he used sometimes as his office. A small lizard scurried out of the way as Luke cleared off his desk and prepared them some caf. Hux was still in their room, asleep – Ben could feel the sleepy murmur of his dreams in the back of his head, the bond strengthened enough for him to share that.

“I do,” Ben said, sitting down and regarding Luke seriously. “I had a run-in with a dark Force user with the First Order, one who had gathered other young Force-users from all over the galaxy to serve as his knights. He told me he’d identified them by speaking to them as children, and that they’d come to him to learn more about how to use the Force. His name was Snoke.”

Luke straightened in his chair, staring at Ben. “Snoke."

“You know it.”

Luke shook his head, but he was clearly lying. “It sounds familiar, I suppose,” he finally said. “But I can’t imagine where I heard it from.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Ben snapped. “He told me that I was destined to be the leader of those children, that he’d been in my mind from when I was a baby until he was expelled. Who could have expelled him from my mind other than you?” He shook his head, the thought of this unseen creature influencing him when he’d been so helpless still making him feel nauseous. “It had to have been you.”

“It was me,” Luke finally spoke. “And your mother. And your aunt.”

Ben’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realized how many of his relatives had lied to him on such a large scale. “My mother? Aunt Mara?!”

“Any one of us alone had no effect on the power that Snoke had over your mind,” Luke explained. “It was only when I found some old lore in a Jedi holocron about combining powers that we were finally able to exorcise him.”

“How old was I?” Ben demanded. “How long was that thing in my head?”

Luke gave him a glance that looked a lot like pity. “You were five,” he said, and Ben’s head swam. Five years of his life. Snoke had been in his brain, feeding him ideas, trying to turn him into the perfect dark side knight for _five years_.

‘ _I need you to be calm,_ ’ Hux’s voice flickered in his mind, sleepy yet strong. ‘ _You’re projecting so strongly that I’m starting to feel agitated._ ’

This was not something that Ben wanted to share, not even with Hux, who he would share everything with. As best as he could, he shut down his mind, locking Hux out.

His hands were shaking.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his voice soft to hide his agitation. “Why didn’t I know about this?!”

“Honestly?” Luke asked. “We didn’t think you remembered, and we didn’t want to upset you. We wanted you to live a long, normal life without this childhood trauma hanging over your head.” He shook his head sadly. “I’m still so sorry that you had to find out.”

“Why?” Ben demanded, standing and looming over him. “It’s a part of me! These things Snoke gave me – I had them for so long that they became my identity as well. Kylo Ren was how I got through my teenaged years. The Knights of Ren were my imaginary friends. These things are a part of me and they’re ruined, now!”

Before Ben could register the movement, Luke was out of his seat and hugging him, shocking considering Ben and his uncle had an uneasy sort of truce at the best of times. “It’s going to be okay, Ben,” Luke said. It was odd to realize how much shorter he was than Ben himself. “You can be angry at me, but I need you to remember who it was who actually ruined all those things for you. It wasn’t me. And there’s no way any of us could have known which parts of you were influenced by Snoke and which ones were just…you. Even if we had told you that Snoke had been in your head when you’d been a small child, could any of us have linked that with the Knights of Ren or your fictional protagonist? How do you tell the difference between a child’s imagination and whisperings in the night?”

Ben knew his uncle was right, but he still didn’t know how to take it. It was like his whole life was unraveling, nothing the same as it had been.

He re-opened his mind to Hux, needing the sardonic commentary to ground him. “I’m going to find Snoke,” he declared. Alarm flared through the bond as Hux registered these words. “I’m going to find him, and I’m going to kill him.”

Luke let him go and reached up to ruffle his hair. “You must do what you feel is right,” he said in his usual holier-than-thou Jedi way. “But be careful with an obsession with vengeance. That is the path to the dark side.”

Ben scoffed. “Half of what I do is the path to the dark side,” he said. “I’m not a Jedi.”

“I just don’t want to see you fall,” Luke murmured. “I have seen an alternate future, a terrible one, where we didn’t cut Snoke from your mind, where we didn’t even realize he was there until it was too late. You fell to the dark, there, and we lost you forever.” He closed his eyes; the memory was clearly painful. “Your mother and I are very thankful that such a future never came to pass.”

Through the bond, Hux was angrily thinking about how he wanted Ben to stay away from Snoke. It was distracting. Ben wasn’t particularly interested in Luke’s alternate future; all that mattered to him was where he’d ended up, not where he could have, but it was a disconcerting thought all the same.

“Hux and I are leaving soon,” Ben announced. “We can’t stay here.”

“Are you returning to D’Qar?” Luke asked. “Your mother will be glad to see you.”

“No,” replied Ben, knowing immediately that Hux would never agree to stay anywhere in the Resistance. “I have to find Snoke, and we need to hide so that the First Order doesn’t realize that we’re alive, at least not for a little while. There will be a price on Hux’s head, I imagine, once they find out he wasn’t killed in the destruction of their base.”

“You have to do what you feel is right,” Luke said again. Ben couldn’t help but feel that someone had once told him that when they hadn’t agreed with his actions. Possibly it had even been Obi-wan Kenobi himself.

“I will,” Ben said, abruptly turning and leaving Luke’s office with as much of a dramatic flourish as possible.

He returned to their room to find Hux awake and pacing.

“You can’t go after Snoke,” he ordered the moment Ben entered and the door closed behind him. “He’ll kill both of us.”

Ben sighed. “If I don’t go after Snoke, he’s eventually going to regroup and come after both of us. You know he’s not going to forgive me for refusing his offer, and you were his best general and betrayed him for me. We’re safe right now because he thinks we’re dead, but what happens when the Resistance doesn’t hold a funeral for me? What happens when someone sees me out somewhere? Or you, for that matter – you had your face plastered on every First Order holonet broadcast for years."

Hux frowned at him. “I’m hardly one to fail to think ahead or to go for the least bloodthirsty option, but going after Snoke will require more than just finding out where his base his and stabbing your lightsaber into his skull.” At Ben’s offended noises, Hux continued. “I can _share your thoughts_ , I know that was your plan. Don’t try to pretend it was anything more sophisticated than that.”

It really hadn’t been, but wasn’t this why Ben had Hux?

“So give me a better plan,” Ben challenged. “Let’s take him down together.”

Hux’s brows drew together, deep in thought. “Snoke is powerful, not only individually but also collectively with the support of the First Order and the Knights of Ren. In order to bring him down, we’re going to have to destroy all of his bases of power.”

“So that would be the First Order, the Knights of Ren, and then his own Force abilities?” Ben asked.

Hux nodded. “Did you get a sense of how strong he was in the Force? Could you defeat him in combat? Because if you can’t, then that’s the first problem.”

Ben chewed on his lower lip; he hadn’t gotten a sense of Snoke’s power from their brief interactions at all. “If he has the ability to reach across the cosmos and influence children across the galaxy to become his minions, then I’d say he’s probably more powerful than I am,” he finally guessed. “And versed in the dark side, whereas I only have minimal training in the light.”

“So there’s your first problem.” Hux sat on the bed, rubbing his temples. “You need to find a way to get stronger, to acquire more power.”

“I could stay and train with my uncle,” Ben said, uncertainly, but even as the words left his mouth, he knew that would never work. His uncle had somehow defeated Emperor Palpatine, and he had been able to repel Snoke from Ben’s mind, but Ben was sure that the light side alone wouldn’t help him.

“If Snoke’s power is dark, you need to understand that power,” Hux said, following his train of thought. “Luke Skywalker isn’t going to be able to teach you that. You need to learn more about the dark side.”

“My uncle isn’t going to like this,” Ben muttered.

“Then don’t tell him.” Hux laid back and stared at the ceiling. Ben sat on the bed next to him, reaching out and stroking his palm. “Meanwhile, I can handle the First Order side of things. I have people in the Order still loyal to me; I suspect that they would be willing to help our plans.”

“That just leaves the Knights of Ren,” murmured Ben, leaning down to press his nose against the side of Hux’s neck. Hux squirmed away, feedback from their mental connection supplying Ben with the fact that his nose was cold.

“We could pick them off one by one,” Hux said thoughtfully. “Once Snoke discovers we’re alive, he’ll probably send them after us.”

Ben closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Hux, draping himself on top of him. “Use ourselves as bait?” He opened his eyes again and leaned over to press a kiss against the side of his mouth. “This is a dangerous game.”

Ben hadn’t known Hux very long, but he’d seen the person he’d been before Starkiller had been destroyed, and the feral grin that Hux gave him in return was much like his old self. “We’re dangerous men,” he said, yanking Ben down by his shirt to kiss him deeply.

Ben kissed him back, letting Hux distract him from thoughts of revenge, at least for a short time.

They left Yavin IV the following day, ‘appropriating’ the ship that Rey had traveled in to Starkiller. Ben recorded a message for his mother and sent it on to D’Qar, telling her not to worry about him, and he specifically didn’t encrypt it so that it could be easily intercepted by First Order spies.

It was time to bait their trap.

* * *

  **Epilogue**

 _Kylo Ren, you are still mine_.

Snoke’s voice rang in his head, and Ben awoke, gasping. Hux, curled around him on the inadequately-large bed in their rented room at Bilbringi, jerked awake as well, and the two of them stared at each other. Ben was gasping and covered with sweat, and he knew that voice now, but he’d heard it in his dreams as well.

“It was _Snoke_ ,” he said. “Snoke was the one who sent me that vision.”

“What vision?”

Rather than explain, Ben used their increasingly strong mental connection to bring Hux back to that morning on D’Qar all those months ago, when he’d awoken from the dream of the destruction of some planetary system.

The final rumble of Snoke’s voice – _there has been an awakening_ – sang in his head long after the memory was over.

“I didn’t recognize his voice at the time, but he sent it to me. He wanted me to find you. He wanted me to search out the First Order and he used the future of Starkiller to do so.”

Hux stared back at him. “If you’re right, Snoke was willing to sacrifice Starkiller Base just for the opportunity to get at you.” He clenched his fists in the shoddy blanket. “He allowed me to spend years of my life on a project that he threw away on a whim.” The bitterness in his voice was palpable.

“Hey,” Ben murmured, reaching over with one of his large palms to unclench Hux’s fist. He stroked along his fingers, bringing the hand to rest in his. “It’s okay. We’re going to destroy him, remember? He’ll get what he deserves.”

Hux’s eyes glittered in the dim light coming in from their window, the spaceport never truly asleep. “Yes, but now I’m not going to just help you. Now I want to be the one who kills him.” He leaned over and bit Ben’s bottom lip. “And you’re going to help _me_.”

Who was Ben to say no to that?

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> February 2018: I lied - I have a sequel started, but it never went anywhere. I think in the end, this story stood for itself. I’m so glad you’ve all enjoyed it!
> 
> Thank you all for your reading and your amazing feedback during this story! I really wasn't sure what kind of reception it was going to get since it's kind of based on a wacky premise (and then it got serious because when can I not write a serious story? Well, okay, most of the time, but even my cracky stuff ends up incorporating real life themes.)
> 
> You are all wonderful! Definitely follow me on [tumblr](http://saucy-kate.tumblr.com/) for more Kylux ridiculousness.


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